Pitiful
by Endellion
Summary: With their past behind them, Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz are trying to live ordinary lives under Vincent's care. But when boredom sets in, the three of them might find themselves in more trouble than they can handle. Sequel to my story Pity.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! Due to popular demand, I decided to write a sequel to my story "Pity". If you're new here and like this, and want to check out the prequel, by all means, go ahead and do so. This story might make more sense if you do. XD**

**To my returning readers, thanks for coming back. I hope this story lives up to its predecessor. The first few chapters here seemed to turn out more like a humor story, but that really couldn't be helped. I'm guessing Vincent and the three remnants living under normal conditions would be quite humorous.**

**So I'll quite talking. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Pitiful - Chapter One**

It was rather bright. The sun was coming in through the open window, filling the bedroom-filling it with light and warmth. The day was just beginning. The birds were out singing, the children were out playing. It was a beautiful summer day, of a summer that was just beginning. It told of life, of joy, of everything that was good.

Vincent Valentine laid on his bed, still too tired to figure out what exactly he was thinking. His tired eyes just stared out the open window, at the dull curtains that were moving in the soft breeze. He had no desire to move. Not yet at least. The usually hard bed felt oddly comfortable.

His dark hair fell haphazardly over his face as he lay there with it half buried in the pillow. His blanket was kicked aside, unneeded on this warm day. The thin clothes were enough for him-he didn't need his cloak, or the leather he usually wore, or his boots or even his gloves. He'd even get rid of the gauntlet, if only he could. Cerberus was in its holster, hanging unneeded on a hook on the wall.

Everything about the moment was comfortable, casual, safe. There was no need for fear or caution. He decided that this would be the first day of utter peace, followed by many, many more...

What was that smell?

Vincent shot up out of bed, shattering all his incoherent, dazed thoughts and bringing him back to stark reality. Something was burning, and smoke was filling the house, sneaking into his room from under the crack in the door.

Instinct and his new-found feelings took over, pushing aside his fatigue. He jumped out of bed, quickly throwing open the door and running into the smoke-filled living room. He heard coughing, and among the screen of smoke-which was still thin enough to see through-he spotting the house's resident teenager.

Kadaj stood before the stove in the kitchen, waving his hand in the air in a futile attempt to get rid of the smoke.

"What are you doing?" Vincent demanded as he walked up to him, turning off the stove top and snatching the burning pan off it. He walked over to the sink and immediately threw it in, turning on the faucet and flooding it with water. It smoked and sizzled harshly, before quickly dying down.

Vincent's crimson eyes turned to the young remnant, who stood there with a guilty look on his face.

"What are you doing?" Vincent reiterated.

"I..." Kadaj started, averting his gaze from shame and embarrassment. "I was just trying to make breakfast."

Vincent sighed heavily. The danger averted, his fatigue suddenly came back to him. He leaned against the counter, looking at the boy with his usual flat stare. "I told you not to do that anymore." This wasn't the first time the remnant had almost caused a fire.

"But how am I ever supposed to learn?"

Vincent ran his hand down his face as he looked around the unusually empty house. "Just wait till I'm awake next time, alright?"

Kadaj didn't reply, but Vincent left the subject alone, too tired to try and pry a promise out of him.

"Where's Yazoo and Loz?"

Kadaj shrugged, looking a little annoyed as he tossed the spatula he had been holding into the sink. "I don't know...wherever they go."

"Don't tell me..." Vincent said.

"I don't know where Loz is. Somewhere nearby. Yazoo...he's probably at the usual again."

Vincent sighed again, pulling himself away from the counter. This wasn't really how he wanted to begin his summer. He longed to go back to bed, to fall back asleep and let his mind think all those delusional things it had been, before he was awakened.

But of course, he couldn't do that. He had a responsibility now.

He went back to his room and put on his boots, then grabbed Cerberus for good measure, and walked back out. He was in the midst of strapping the belt around his waist as he walked passed the lonely remnant.

"I'll be back in a minute. Don't burn anything else," he said, as he made his way to the door. He stepped out, leaving the youngest of the home alone.

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The town of Nibelheim was already awake and tackling the day. The occupants of the small country town were going about their business. A few people he passed waved at him, offering him smiles and greetings. Vincent returned their waves and tried to look as friendly as possible, but he wasn't really in the mood to smile. Through most of the trek through town, he kept his head down, trying to avoid eye-contact with the more friendlier people he knew.

He had only one reason for being out here.

He finally looked up when he came to the local pub. He had no desire to be back in here..._again_.

At least in the morning hours the place was mostly deserted, so he didn't run into any drunken townsfolk. He opened the door and stepped inside, his eyes going to the counter. He had no need to look around the dim, empty place; he already knew where his quarry was located. But he figured he'd pay the barkeeper a visit first and see what damage had been done.

"Good morning, Mr. Valentine," the man said as he approached.

"What was it this time?" Vincent asked, not in the mood for small talk.

The man shrugged, continuing to wipe down the mug he held in his hand. "It was a group of five of them. He took them down pretty easily, as usual."

"Yeah," Vincent grumbled, "Just add any damages to my bill. I'll pay it at the end of the month."

"Actually," the keeper started as Vincent turned away, "he's getting better. He actually took them outside this time."

Vincent paused for a second to think about what he said, then continued on his original route. He made his way to the back of the bar, where a certain silver-haired male was sitting. He was alone at a table, his heavy eyes staring ahead at nothing. He only lifted his gaze when Vincent stood just before him. If he looked close enough, Vincent could notice that the remnant was minimally swaying back and forth.

"What was it this time?" Vincent asked.

"He hit on me," Yazoo replied simply.

"He hit on you?"

"Yes. And he grabbed me...where he shouldn't have grabbed me."

Vincent shook his head as he reached down, grabbing the remnant by the arm and helping him to his feet. "Where did the other four come in?"

"Friends of his, I guess. It's not my fault they all decided to join in."

"You know, you wouldn't have that problem if you didn't come out here every night," Vincent said as he led him to the door. They stepped outside in the bright light, Vincent letting go of his arm as he proved he could walk on his own.

"Then what am I supposed to do instead?" Yazoo asked.

"You could try sleeping."

The remnant scoffed, turning his gaze toward the direction of their home. Vincent watched Yazoo carefully as they walked.

For being someone who was completely drunk, Yazoo carried himself very well. By holding a conversation with him, no one would have really known. The only thing that gave his drunkenness away was the slight stagger in his walk. And even that was barely noticeable.

"How come Kadaj is the only one who stays home at night?" Vincent grumbled, more to himself than Yazoo.

"Give it a little time," Yazoo replied, "Pretty soon you'll have three very bored men on your hands."

Vincent glared at him, but didn't say anything else.

Within a few minutes, they were back home. Vincent led Yazoo in through the door to the kitchen, which was a little less burnt smelling.

Vincent froze in his tracks and stared at Kadaj crossly as the remnant stood in front of the stove, another pan on the burner. Several eggs were in the pan, sizzling at a moderate level. Kadaj didn't say anything, only stared at him with a defiant, smug look on his face.

Deciding he was too tired to get angry, Vincent simply led Yazoo over to the table and sat him down on one of the chairs. He scratched his unkempt black hair as he made his way back to his bedroom. He threw himself heavily down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It had been five months now. Five months since he, and the three remnants, battled Sephiroth. Five months since he bought this house. Five months since he decided to become a surrogate father to the three of them.

He wasn't complaining. He never did. He didn't regret it. He never would. He cared for those three like they were his own, he had even come to love them.

He wasn't fooling himself either. They were who they were, and even if they were trying to change-to be better men-that wasn't easy.

Vincent trusted them. He was certain they would never intentionally hurt anyone-at least not without a proper reason to. They had no desire to fall back into their old ways and serve Jenova again, and Kadaj hated Sephiroth with a passion. But Vincent knew that old habits die hard, and the three of them weren't exactly model citizens.

Yazoo and Loz were always gone at night, even when they promised they wouldn't leave. Yazoo to go look for a fight at the bar, and Loz to do...whatever he did. At least he never came back with a bill of damages, or a story of men hitting on him.

Vincent almost considered nailing all the doors and windows shut. Almost. Not like that would stop them anyway.

Kadaj was surprisingly the most compliant of the three. But like Yazoo said, he could tell he was getting restless. He knew it was only a matter of time before the little brother found his own outlet.

As long as it wasn't cooking.

"Vincent!" Kadaj called from the kitchen.

Well, he would think about that another time. Right now, breakfast awaited. He rose out of bed one more time, to face another day.

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**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2. :p I really enjoyed it. It was fun. And I wrote about a character that wasn't in the last story at all. Hope you like it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Two**

Loz made his way down the road, entering the small town of Nibelheim. He walked with his head held high, a smile on his face. He wore the fact that he was not wounded proudly. No one would have guessed he had spent the night in the wild, challenging whatever creature decided to take a chance with him. His clothes were a little scuffed, and his hair was a little dusty-but either than that, he was untouched.

The workers in the town made their way to and fro, passing by him and some of them waving. Loz returned their greetings, as he made his way toward the outskirts of Nibelheim, where his new home-the only home he had ever had-was located.

He rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the aches that had built up. A good sleep would get rid of them completely, then he would wake up late that day to do this again.

It wasn't the best thing he could spend his time on, but it also wasn't the worst. At least he was helping people by making the outlying lands a little safer.

Loz suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. He turned his head slightly to the right, listening to the noise of the villagers. Amongst their talking, their rushed footsteps, and all the other sounds they made, he was able to decipher something. It was a single pair of footsteps, different than all the rest. They were light and slow. They stopped now that he stopped, and continued the moment he began walking again.

He had been aware of it since he entered town, but he didn't think much about it. Now he definitely knew something was up.

He continued his way to the house, and quickly pushed the door open. He stepped inside and shut it quickly.

At his presence, Vincent and Kadaj lifted their heads. Vincent stood behind a chair at the table, looking like he was having a serious discussion with Yazoo, who was as uninterested as ever. Kadaj was by the stove, staring at his elder brother with wide eyes, sensing his trouble.

"Someone's following me," Loz informed, before anyone had a chance to ask any questions of him.

Vincent let Yazoo be. He urgently walked passed Loz, his hand ready on Cerberus as he went to the front door and pulled it open. His eyes scanned over the visible parts of the town, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He listened carefully.

Loz cautiously stepped behind him, the young man ready to fight alongside if necessary. The two of them stood intent and silent for a long moment. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, there was nothing suspicious. And the light footsteps had stopped.

"Go back inside," Vincent said softly.

"What?" Loz asked, shocked. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Loz stared at him, disapproving. But in the end, he turned and did as he was told. Vincent pulled the door shut after him, then stepped a few more feet away from the house. His eyes continued to look around.

"I know you're here," he announced, "Come out."

There was no immediate response. He waited a little longer. Eventually, Loz's stalker stepped out from behind the tree in the garden next door. Standing before him was a young woman, a serious expression on her usually non-serious face. Her short black hair blew in the slight breeze, her short cloak following with the same motion. She stood before him, not speaking, her shuriken held ready in her right hand.

Vincent hadn't expected to find her there, but then again, he wasn't really surprised.

"Hello, Yuffie."

"Well?" she replied, her wide eyes asking something of him.

"What?" he asked, removing his hand from his weapon. He turned back to his house, opening the door to walk back inside.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" she elaborated, walking up to him and standing less than a foot away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He stepped inside, finding himself immediately faced by Loz. The tall remnant stood there with his arms crossed, staring menacingly at Yuffie as she stepped in behind him. The young ninja immediately lifted her weapon, ready to strike at Loz.

Vincent reached back and grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand down. "Put that thing away," he said. He looked back to Loz, his face flat. "It's alright. She's harmless."

"Harmless?" she echoed, "I'm dangerous!"

Vincent pulled her further inside, further away from Loz and into the kitchen. Kadaj stood there staring at the newcomer, his gaze disapproving.

"Who is this?" he demanded.

"Yuffie," Vincent simply answered, "Yuffie, this is Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz." He gestured to them all respectively, and the ninja looked between them all, disbelief and disapproval on her face.

He let her go and headed for the living room, feeling a headache coming on.

"Vincent!" she called, running up and stopping him. She stood between him and the doorway, staring up at him. She lifted her hands and shrugged, exasperated, as if she didn't know what to say. And unluckily-or luckily-for Vincent, he couldn't read her mind.

"What?"

She gestured to the three remnants all gathered around the table, all staring at her with the same look. "Are you insane?" she asked, "What do you think you're doing, letting those three roam freely? And living with you!"

Kadaj's eyes told of murder, as he slid a helping of eggs onto Yazoo's plate. The drunken remnant paid no attention to his breakfast, and continued to stare ahead at the young woman.

"Those three should be locked away! At least!"

"Have you spoken to Cloud lately?" Vincent asked, crossing his arms and staring at her crossly.

"Yes. And he told me how insane you've gone!"

"It's fine, Yuffie. Settle down."

"Settle down?" She threw her hands up in the air and started to pace around the small room. "You've lost it, Vincent. I know you're lonely and have some issues you need to work out..."

He raised a brow, "Excuse me?"

"...but taking in these delinquents!"

Kadaj sat down at the table, stabbing at his breakfast while still staring at her. Loz hadn't moved, his arms still crossed and his stare still threatening. Neither of them were thrilled about being talked about like they weren't there.

"Yuffie...I'm not going to explain myself to you," he told her curtly. He grabbed her by the wrist, causing her to calm down and look into his eyes. He stooped to stare at her seriously, to make her see how genuine he was. "I want you to be quiet, now. If you refuse, you can leave. I am way too tired, and I do not have the energy for this."

"But Vincent," she said more quietly, drawing in closer to him. Her eyes flashed to the remnants for a second, before she whispered, "They're Sephiroth!"

A fork flew across the room, hitting the ninja square in the head. "Ow!" she exclaimed, holding her bruised cranium.

"Kadaj!" Vincent snapped.

His cell phone suddenly rang, the default tone cutting into the dysfunctional morning. He sighed as he pulled it from his belt and read the number.

He took Yuffie by the shoulder and suddenly turned her around, moving her toward the table. He didn't give her any time to protest, before he sat her in his spot, in front of his breakfast. "Eat, and shut up." He ordered, leaving no room for compromise.

He flipped the phone open, placing it against his ear. "Hello."

"Vincent," Reeve Tuesti's voice came over the other end, sounding neither urgent nor casual, "Is this a bad time?"

"No," he answered, eager to do anything either than have to go back to the insanity in his home. He stood behind Yuffie, keeping a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place...and to keep her from getting attacked.

The four at the table were silent, glaring daggers at each other. Kadaj ate his eggs with his hands, trying to prove he was content without his fork, even though there was under-cooked yoke all over his fingers. Loz hadn't touched his food. Neither had Yazoo, who was still staring forward. Only now he looked like he was staring passed Yuffie, beyond at nothing. Yuffie probably wouldn't have touched the food if her life depended on it.

"What is it?" Vincent inquired.

"We've come across something I thought you might like to check out. As you know, we're still doing a lot of research into ShinRa, and all the projects they had going in the past. We stumbled across a facility recently, one that the President wasn't even aware of, it seems."

"Rufus?" Vincent clarified.

"Yes. He's sent some of his men over here to help with the research."

"He's alright with you having his stuff on your hands?"

"He doesn't have much choice in the matter now," Reeve replied, "We've decided that the best course of action now is to try and uncover as much information as possible. We all know the potential risks that are out there, especially since the Deepground incident."

"Yes. So what did you want me for?"

"There are an extensive amount of files here. We found some on Choas and the work that Lucrecia Crescent performed on the project. And also some files on Sephiroth."

Vincent's eyes went to Kadaj, who was now staring up at him, either wondering what he was talking about or knowing already.

"Would you be interested?" Reeve questioned, after a pause on the line.

"Yes," Vincent answered affirmatively, "I'll be there."

"Great. Contact me when you're in Midgar."

"Alright." Without saying good bye, Vincent closed the phone. His eyes fell from Kadaj to the floor, when he finally found himself faced with a dilemma.

"Be where?" Kadaj questioned, placing his dirty hands together.

"Midgar," he answered simply, reaching down and picking up Kadaj's thrown fork.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

Kadaj was silent for a second, before asking the obvious question, "Are we going with you?"

"We'll talk about it later," he dismissed it.

"But Vincent..." Kadaj started, before he was interrupted by Yuffie uttering the same phrase. Vincent turned back to them, about to start telling them to be quiet before his inner demons started coming out.

Yazoo suddenly fell over, out of his chair. He crashed to the floor on his side, unmoving and unconscious.

Kadaj sighed in frustration, as Vincent swore under his breath. Nothing about his morning seemed to be going right. "Kadaj...get your brother to bed," he ordered. He grabbed Yuffie by the arm, pulling her up from the chair again. "Come on. We're going for a walk."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Vincent!" Kadaj called after him.

He ignored all the protests and left the house with Yuffie, leaving the three remnants alone.

Kadaj stood over his passed-out brother, watching the closed door for a few long second. He shook his head and gave up in the end, and went to pick up Yazoo.

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**A/N: Please review. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well this is definitely one of my shorter chapters. Hello again! **

**I just want to say thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story so far. I'm glad you like it, and knowing that makes me write more. XD**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Three**

The night was quiet. Vincent sat on the couch, staring up at the ceiling and listening the clock tick. The hectic day had come to an end, leaving him to sit there alone and ponder what was before him.

The walk he had taken with Yuffie was productive. He hadn't exactly convinced her he was right, but he managed to calm her down to the point where she quit arguing. Right now she was in his room, asleep on his bed. She was after all, his friend. He couldn't make her pay for an inn, not when he had a full house at his disposal. He could've put her on the couch, but he felt it would be better for him to be out here. He could keep a better eye on everyone that way.

The hour was late. He figured he should lay down and try sleeping. Tomorrow he would be leaving for Midgar, one way or another.

He heard a door opening and lifted his head to look. Kadaj stepped into the living room, making his way silently toward him. He was dressed for bed, wearing a simple pair of pants and the over-sized shirt Vincent recalled buying for him in Bone Village. Quite a while ago.

The young man stood before him, the two of them not saying anything for a long moment.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Kadaj broke the silence, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah," Vincent answered. He looked ahead of himself again, at nothing.

"Are you taking us with you?"

"I don't know yet."

Kadaj made his way around the couch and stood before him. "What was that phone call about anyway?"

"It was Reeve. They found some stuff of ShinRa's he thought I should see."

"What kind of stuff?" he pressed further.

"Stuff about us."

Kadaj smiled. _Us._ It made them sound like they were all connected, all a part of the same thing-like they really were some sort of family.

Kadaj suddenly came toward him and sat down on his lap, making it impossible for Vincent to dismiss him or ignore him. Vincent woke up slightly in response to the odd position, and stared at the remnant strangely. Kadaj's gaze was oddly serious.

"Take us with you."

Vincent relaxed back into the couch again. "Why?" he asked, just so he could see how he would answer.

"We're bored, Vincent. We need a change of scenery."

Vincent stared at him directly in the eyes, knowing there were more reasons than just that. Kadaj looked away from him, the same way he always did when he was about to admit something genuine.

"I'm worried about my brothers. You are, too. And I can't see any reason why you would really want us to stay here by ourselves. Unless you're getting tired of us."

"I'm not getting tired of you," he said, unable to hold back a smile. Kadaj looked down at him strangely, before a smile of his own touched his face. "I'll take you with. But I am concerned. The three of you don't exactly have the best reputation in Midgar. What if someone sees you?"

"They won't," Kadaj assured eagerly.

"You might be just as bored there."

"We won't."

Vincent conceded in the end, shaking his head softly. "Fine." With the subject settled, he rested his head back again, hoping the boy would get off him and go to bed. He wasn't so lucky though. And the fact that he hadn't moved an inch yet led him to believe there was more he wanted to say.

He opened his eyes again to find Kadaj staring beyond him and the couch, at the closed door of Vincent's bedroom. His fingers absently picked at the fabric of the couch, showing his frustration with how angrily he was doing so.

"Why does she have to stay here?" Kadaj blurted out, just before Vincent was going to ask what was bothering him. "This our house. Why should she put you out of a bed?"

Vincent couldn't help but be amused. "She's my friend, Kadaj. Even though she's...strange."

"I don't like her. She's not good enough for you."

"What?" he asked, shocked.

"She's not. You deserve someone much better."

Vincent was speechless for a moment, and just stared at him. "I'm not interested in her."

"You're not?"

"No."

"She's certainly interested in you."

"No, she's not."

"Yes, she is. Why else you do you think she was so upset?"

Vincent gave up the argument in the end, shaking his head. "You're giving me a headache."

Kadaj chuckled.

The door to Yazoo's bedroom opened, making the both of them look that direction. Yazoo stepped out of the bedroom, looking as serene and as preened as ever, showing no signs of a hangover. He didn't even seem to notice the two on the couch, or decided to ignore them, as he headed for the door.

"Yazoo!" Vincent called, stopping him in his tracks. "Go back to bed. We're leaving for Midgar in the morning."

"Midgar?" Yazoo repeated, "What prompted this?"

"Reeve called this morning," Kadaj answered, "He needs Vincent's attention for something."

"I see," Yazoo casually commented. "But I'm not tired."

"I don't care. Go back to bed."

Yazoo looked from Vincent to Kadaj, his gaze asking. Kadaj nodded his head, then Yazoo turned and went back to his room. Vincent stared at him, a little frustrated. It was common knowledge in the house that Yazoo and Loz listened to Kadaj, and only Kadaj. It was a little annoying, but as long as Kadaj listened to Vincent, everything would be okay.

"You, too," Vincent said.

Kadaj complied, sliding off his lap and back to his feet. He stared down at Vincent for a moment, then went back to his bedroom. Vincent watched him leave, before laying down on the couch, quickly falling asleep.

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**A/N: Please review. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ugh, I've been having a major spell of writer's block. At least with this story. I hope this chapter turned out okay. I didn't particularly like it, but there was no way I could get around it. Hopefully, it's better than what I think it is. I wish it wasn't so short though.**

**I hope you enjoy it regardless. And tell me what you think. :) Next chapter will be longer, I promise. lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Four**

The city of Edge was alive and bustling. Vincent stood on the side of the street, watching the cars and pedestrians going by. Horns honked loudly, people talked to one another as they went about their daily business. The sounds of the city at its height of traffic filled his ears, luckily drowning out the noise of Yuffie chatting beside him.

The young ninja was talking to him about something, but half way through their walk here, he had stopped listening. He had only one thing on his mind, and that was getting to Seventh Heaven. Afterward, he would go straight to the WRO. He only hoped he could leave the Wutai girl with the rest of his friends.

He started walking again, when there was a break enough in the traffic for him to pass. Yuffie was right behind him, the two of them quickly crossing the street and approaching the familiar bar.

"Are you even listening to me?" Yuffie asked, as someone exited the building, just as they were entering.

"Sorry, I wasn't," he replied rather honestly. He held the door open for the young woman, as she stared at him flatly, before going inside. He followed her, stepping into Seventh Heaven's welcoming atmosphere.

The seats were filled, men and women both enjoying the drinks and the service this place brought. He looked around at all the customers; he didn't come here often enough to know if any of them were regulars, if this much service was normal. He didn't particularly like being around so many people, but he figured it couldn't be helped. They weren't paying any attention to him anyway. He was just another customer, as far as they were concerned.

He approached the bar along side of Yuffie, offering a smile as Tifa lifted her head from under the bar. She greeted them both with her usual smile, sliding a glass in front of Vincent and filling it.

"Good to see you again, Vincent," she said.

"Likewise."

Another drink was placed in front of Yuffie, and Vincent wondered if that was a good idea.

"Is Cloud around?" he asked, deciding to forget about Yuffie. He had more important things to worry about anyway.

"Yeah, he's in his office. Let me get him for you." Tifa stepped away from the bar, leaving it unattended as she headed up the stairs. He waited for a long minute, tapping his metal finger against the countertop, fearful that any moment Yuffie would start talking again.

He was relieved when Tifa finally came back down, the blond man following close behind her. Cloud offered him a smile as he approached the bar, taking the seat on his other side.

"Great, you're here," Yuffie said, speaking before anyone else could, "Would you mind telling Vincent how insane he's gone?" she asked Cloud.

The blonde lifted his brow, his gaze shifting between the two. Vincent shook his head softly.

"He's not insane," Tifa replied.

Yuffie stared at her flatly, and Vincent decided it was best to ignore her.

"The three of them are at the church," Vincent informed Cloud, "I'm going to meet Reeve, I was wondering if you can keep an eye on them while I'm gone."

Cloud nodded. "Of course."

"Hopefully I won't be gone too long."

Vincent's attention was taken from Cloud when he saw Shelke descending the stairs. A smile was immediately on her face when she noticed Vincent, and she made her way around the counter, standing at Tifa's side. She was nearly the other woman's height, looking older than when he had last seen her. She seemed a little older every time he came around, and he could only hope that eventually her body would catch up with her age.

"Hello, Vincent." she said.

"Hello, Shelke."

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The air within the church was warm and fresh. The breeze came through the open spaces, rustling his silver hair as he sat there patiently on the pew. He was slouched forward, his hands together, thumbs absently playing with one another. The day was waning into twilight, and Kadaj wondered how long he would have to wait there.

He glanced over at his brothers, both so quiet. Yazoo laid on his back in the patch of flowers, just beside the pool of water. His hand was hanging over the edge, his fingers sifting through the water as he stared up at the sky. Kadaj wasn't sure what he was thinking, wondered if it was even his place to know. Kadaj could tell this place was important to him, in ways he never explained.

Loz was only a few feet away from Yazoo, going through the flowers and picking out the prettiest ones. Kadaj shook his head, wondering what happened to his elder brother.

The noise of an approaching engine pulled them all from their quiet state. Yazoo and Loz lifted their heads, while Kadaj rose from his seat and made his way to the door. A smile graced his face when he saw the approaching bike, and the man who was riding it.

Cloud brought Fenrir to a gradual halt before the building. Kadaj watched as he dismounted and made his way over to him, an unsure smile on his lips.

Kadaj felt something inside him stirring, a dark part of him he was trying to ignore. He ignored the thoughts entering his mind, the deep voice that spoke in menacing tones. _Perfect, isn't it?_ it mocked.

* * *

**A/N: I hope I don't make it sound like Vincent hates Yuffie or anything. :/**

**Please review. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I meant to put this up yesterday. But yesterday was crap, so I never got around to it. lol Enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Five**

It was early the next day when Tifa awoke. Dawn was barely there, but as it was approaching, it brought with it a cool, damp atmosphere. She stood staring out her bedroom window, watching the streets below as they just began to come alive. She was still tired, but had been unable to get back to sleep. So here she was, figuring she should get an early start on the day.

She left the window and eventually the bedroom. She went through the hallway, passing by the sleeping kids' bedrooms. Shelke was usually the first to rise out of all of them, but today she was still sleeping. And Tifa was left to herself.

Cloud hadn't returned the night before, having decided to spend the night at the church with the three remnants. She didn't mind. She actually thought it was a good idea; Vincent was probably relieved to have those three off his head for a while. She couldn't imagine what living with them must be like, and could only smile at the thought of it. She had never pictured Vincent as the fatherly type, but he seemed to have adjusted to his new role well. He seemed a little more relaxed these days.

Tifa made her way downstairs to the bar. She heard a noise coming from behind the counter, and her first thought was that Cloud had returned early. But when she turned on the light, she was met with a surprise.

It wasn't Cloud behind the bar. It was Loz.

He was looking directly at her, a slightly shameful look in his emerald eyes. A smile was on his face, one that said he meant no harm.

"You know, trespassing is a crime," she said with a joking smile, as she walked down the rest of the stairs and went closer to the bar. She stood opposite of her usual place, watching Loz as he guiltily put down one of the bottles of liquor he had been holding.

"Where's Cloud?" she asked, after he said nothing.

"He took Kadaj to the WRO, to see what Vincent was up to," he answered, reaching below the counter and pulling out a set of glasses.

"What about Yazoo?"

"He's still at the church."

"I see. Does Cloud know you left the church?" she questioned, as he poured her a glass and set it front of her. He reached under the counter again, this time pulling out a bundle of flowers. He set them beside the glass.

"No. But I was careful. No one saw me come here."

She didn't say anything more, just stared at him suspiciously as she picked up the flowers and smelled their fragrance. She was familiar with their scent, but she never grew tired of it. She remembered the first time Cloud had given her one, after their first mission together after his return to Midgar. It seemed like such a long time ago...

She set the flowers down and looked back at the remnant as he drank from his glass. She shook her head as she walked away from the counter, taking the flowers and glass he had poured with her.

"You shouldn't drink so early in the morning. Besides, you need something substantial in your stomach." She joined him on the other side of the bar, gesturing for him to make room for her. "Take a seat and I'll make us some breakfast."

He smiled, eagerly slipping out of her way and taking a seat at the bar.

Tifa took an empty glass and filled it with some water, before setting the flowers inside and displaying them in the corner.

* * *

Yazoo watched the sunrise coming through the holes in the ceiling. He had woken a few hours earlier, but remained where he was, watching the line of light slowly make its way across the floor, and eventually his body. It was warm, bright, radiant. Contrasting the cool water which he had fallen asleep with his hand inside.

Birds were beginning to sing, the only sounds that morning. Everything was quiet.

He was completely alone there.

And completely bored.

Watching the sky could only entertain him for so long. Very soon, it would hold no more appeal, and very soon, not even his connection with his Mother would be able to keep him in this church. He knew Vincent, and Cloud, had told him to stay here. Well, they also told Loz that, but he was nowhere to be seen. He knew exactly where he was though, and anyone else with half a brain would be able to figure it out as well.

He sighed heavily, almost envying his brother. Loz had Tifa, Kadaj had Cloud. Yazoo, on the other hand, had nothing he came here for.

Well, there was Aeris. But she was always with him, so being here at the church didn't really make that much of a difference. It was important to him, but how was it supposed to hold his attention for the entire duration of their stay?

Deciding he'd had enough of the sky and the water, Yazoo pulled himself from the floor. Without taking a second to think about it, he made his way to the door, and left the church behind.

* * *

Kadaj watched as the bleak scenery of the old city of Midgar passed them by. He watched it absently, his mind in another time, dwelling only on the contentment he felt. He felt the wind whipping through his hair, felt it chap his skin and send shivers down his body. The chill of it was accented by the warmth he felt from Cloud, sitting so close to him. His hands were on the blonde's waist, keeping him anchored to the bike as they rode together, making their way back to the church.

He wished the ride had lasted long. He wished the two of them could just circle the city, no destination in mind. They could ride for hours, and he would let the peace consume him, and relish in the fact that this was what life was supposed to like.

There was no desperate longing here, no obsessive need to fulfill an oppressive wish. There was just peace, and the freedom he felt being in this moment, being with his "brother".

There were no thoughts distracting him, no disruptive voices in his head. There was only this moment.

Fenrir came to a stop just outside the church, the engine shutting down to leave them in silence. Kadaj pulled away from Cloud as he straightened himself out, turning back to give a light smile to his passenger. Kadaj returned the gesture as he got off the bike.

The two of them made their way to the church. Kadaj stepped through the entrance, suddenly realizing something.

Before his eyes confirmed it, he knew it inside: the church was empty.

Cloud stepped in beside him, looking around.

"Yazoo! Loz!" Kadaj called. But he knew it was pointless, they were gone.

Cloud walked further inside, still looking around to make sure they weren't out of view anywhere. He turned back to Kadaj, questions in his eyes.

The young remnant could only shake his head, leaving his spot by the door and going to his favorite pew. He threw himself down, resting his head back.

"Where are they?" Cloud asked.

"Loz is with your girlfriend."

Cloud paused for only a fraction of a second. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What about Yazoo?"

"I don't know," he replied calmly.

"Can't you sense him, or something?"

"Yes, but...He's nearby, I just don't know where exactly."

Cloud sighed, grabbing his phone and pulling it from the holder on his belt. Kadaj watched him as he went through his contacts, then dialed Vincent's number. He placed the phone against his ear, and it was only a matter of seconds before Vincent answered.

"Cloud?" he simply said.

"Vincent, Loz and Yazoo left the church. Kadaj says Loz is at Seventh Heaven, but he doesn't know where Yazoo is."

He heard Vincent sigh in frustration on the other end, then heard Yuffie's voice coming from the distance, asking too many questions. Vincent ignored her, "Alright. I'll be there soon. Could you take Kadaj back with you, keep and eye on him?"

"Sure."

"And...maybe start checking the bars."

"Bars?"

Kadaj let out a dry laugh.

"Yazoo tends to take his boredom out on patrons in the bars. He might be at one."

"Isn't that risky? What if someone recognizes him from before?" Cloud wondered.

"That's probably what he's hoping for."

_Great,_ Cloud thought. He glanced over at Kadaj, who was staring down at the floor, looking upset on an angry level.

"I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Alright. Good-bye." Cloud hung up the phone, replacing it in holder. "Come on, I'm going to take you home."

Kadaj lifted his head, his eyebrow raised in pleasant surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Vincent wants me to keep an eye on you. Come on."

Kadaj smiled, rising from his seat and quickly following after Cloud, as they made their way back to Fenrir.

* * *

Shelke sat in her favorite booth by the window, absently watching outside as the usual crowd passed by. Her mind was only halfway on the sights. Her attention was directed toward Tifa and Loz, even though her gaze was not on them. They were both behind the bar, Loz helping Tifa rearrange some things in the cabinets by reaching the high places and doing the heavy lifting.

The both of them were happy, smiling, laughing.

It was late enough for them to have opened already, but they were still closed. Tifa said they could spare a few hours, since they were rearranging, but Shelke knew the real reason they hadn't opened yet was because of Loz. Tifa didn't want anyone spotting him, yet at the same time, she didn't want to send him away.

Shelke paid close attention to the remnant. Not necessarily because she didn't trust him. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do, like she owed it to Vincent.

The phone rang, giving Shelke good cause to turn around. She watched Tifa as she answered it, giving the usual Seventh Heaven greeting.

"Hey Cloud," she added, a smile touching her face. "Yeah, he's here." She said, her eyes going to Loz. She was still smiling, but that smile died away quickly. "Why? What is it?"

"What?" Loz asked, immediately sensing something was wrong.

"Alright, I'll see you then." Tifa hung up the phone, then turned to Loz and his questioning gaze. "It was Cloud. He said Yazoo is missing."

"Missing?"

"Yeah, he's on his way here with Kadaj. He says he wants you to stay here."

Shelke looked away from the two of them, her eyes down to the tabletop. She thought for a few long moment, before she made up her mind, and slid out of the booth. She didn't say anything to either of them, as she made her way to the door, and stepped outside.

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**A/N: A couple nights ago, I had a dream my sister and I were trying to make a low-budget film with Sephiroth. Well, it wasn't quite Sephiroth. It was some guy dressed like Sephiroth. In any case, I was rather weird. :/**

**Please review. Reviews make me happy. XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I found this chapter extremely hard to write. By the time I was done, I felt extremely exhausted. Kadaj takes a lot out of me. lol**

**Hope you enjoy it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Six**

Kadaj's eyes scanned over the over the area, taking in the bar, the booths, the stools. He looked over the counter and all the things behind it-the pots and pans, the bottles of wine, and the notes that were stuck to the wall. He had never been to this place before; he hadn't known what to expect. So this was where Cloud lived, where he spent most of his time with these people he called his family.

The bar was uncomfortably silent. The sun had hidden behind the clouds that afternoon, giving Edge and everything in it a dreary hue. The fan spun on the ceiling, only adding to Kadaj's unease.

He looked from the bar, and from Tifa who was standing behind it. His eyes went to the floor, and he examined the simple tile, having nothing else to do.

His eyes lost focus, his mind drifting elsewhere as he concentrated on that soft feeling deep inside-that feeling he always had: the simple knowledge that his brothers were nearby. This was obvious for Loz, who was sitting just to his left on another stool. Yazoo, though...Yazoo was elsewhere. Close, but just beyond his reach.

Kadaj felt a pair of eyes on him. Drawing back to the present, he looked to his left, to the stairs. Standing there was a boy. He was about ten years old, from what he could tell. If he remembered correctly, this boy was Denzel, a part of Cloud's "family". Vincent had told him about the order of the household before.

Denzel was staring directly at him, anger and hatred in his light green eyes. He was challenging him, wondering how he was ever allowed in his home. And Kadaj remembered him. He could spot each one of those children he had controlled three years ago. He could've picked them out of a crowd blindfolded.

The remnant offered Denzel a sly smile, winking at him. This only seemed to aggravate the boy even more.

"Denzel," Cloud said softly. The break in silence drew everyone's attention to blonde. "Why don't you go outside with Marlene?" he suggested, giving the kid a smile to assure him everything was fine.

Denzel wasn't convinced.

"Come on," Tifa said, making her way around the bar and approaching him. She put her arm around his shoulder and led him to the door. She started talking to him, as she opened the door and went to step outside. Their path was blocked as Vincent and Yuffie came through the doorway.

Vincent apologized as he stepped out of the way, and both Tifa and Denzel went outside.

"See?" Yuffie said, apparently continuing the conversation the two of them had been having the entire way there. "I told you something like this would happen! Now you've gone and lost yourself a remnant."

"Yuffie..." Vincent cut her off, his tone reprimanding.

She looked from Vincent to Kadaj, the both of them glaring daggers at one another. Vincent took her by the shoulders and made sure to steer her clear of both remnants. He sat her down at one of the booths, then turned to Kadaj and Loz again.

"Any ideas?" he simply asked.

"He's not in Edge, he won't be in any of the bars," Kadaj informed.

"Well then where is he?" Vincent wondered. "Where would he have to go?"

Loz shrugged, "Maybe he went deeper into Midgar to find some creatures to fight. That's what I do when I'm bored."

"So that's what you do every night."

Cloud stepped closer to Vincent, crossing his arms while he thought hard about their situation. "Is there anything we should be more concerned about? Him running off is one thing, but do we know why he ran off?"

"What other reason would there be besides him getting bored?" Kadaj asked.

Cloud met Vincent's eyes for a moment, before turned and looking at the youngest remnant. His stare was serious, conveying his concern.

Kadaj grew offended. "Yazoo wouldn't do anything. Not like before. Why would you think that?"

"Kadaj," Vincent said calmly, settling him down, "You know what happened with you the last time you took off."

"Sephiroth doesn't have control of him," Loz said, amazingly calm where his brother was not, "We would know."

"We're assuming they would tell us even if he did," Yuffie chimed in.

Kadaj threw his glare her direction, his hands clenching in anger.

"Yuffie," Vincent said again.

Cloud took a deep breath, looking from Yuffie to Vincent. "So what do we do? Should we start looking for him?"

"He'll come back," Kadaj said, "You guys don't have to be so concerned. He's our brother, he would never permanently leave us."

"He's right," Vincent reinforced. He knew them well enough to know that their relationship with each other was more important than anything. "Still, I think I'm going to check around. Make sure he's not at any of the bars." He turned to Yuffie. "You're coming with," he said, offering no compromise in the matter.

The Wutai girl stood without protest and followed him as he went to the door. She cast one last look at Kadaj, who was about to murder her with his stare.

"Will they be alright here?" Vincent asked as he stopped in the doorway.

"Yeah," Cloud replied.

Vincent nodded then left the bar, the door closing after him. Cloud was left with the two remnants, the uncomfortable silence ensuing once more.

* * *

Kadaj looked out the window at the dark streets. They were becoming more and more empty, as the hour grew later and later. He was waiting for Vincent to come back, waiting to see his red cloak in the bleak colors of the city. He hadn't returned yet though; he hadn't even called. Kadaj wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

He focused on his brother again, on the feeling of his presence. He was still there, no closer, no further. But where exactly was he? And what was he doing?

_Are you afraid yet?_

Kadaj sighed heavily, leaning against the table and rubbing the heel of his hand between his eyes.

_Are you sure what you told them is really true? How do you know he will come back to you? How do you know that I don't have him already?_

"Shut up," Kadaj said under his breath, pressing his hand harder against his head.

_Why? Does not hearing the truth make it any less real?_

"Shut up."

_Yazoo is weak. He has always been weak, and you've known this. What will he do without you, his stable brother? What if he stumbles? Who will be there to lift him back up?_

"Shut up!" Kadaj wheeled about, jumping when he realized he was no longer alone in the bar. Cloud was standing there, a questioning look in his bright blue eyes. Kadaj scoffed, turning from the blonde to hide his embarrassment.

_Perfect, is it not?_

Cloud took a step closer to him, the confusion still in his eyes. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Kadaj lied, composing himself enough to look him in the eye.

He didn't look very convinced, but he dropped the subject. He looked from the remnant to the window the teen had been staring out. "Vincent's still not back, huh?"

"No." Kadaj's gaze followed him as he stepped closer to the window. He looked tired, but Kadaj had a feeling the blonde wouldn't be getting much sleep because of them. Even though the three of them had changed, Kadaj had come to accept that they would never be fully trusted. Not by Cloud at least. Sephiroth had scarred him too many times for him to be trusting. And Kadaj didn't blame him. But at least he believed now that he was trying. And at least Cloud could understand how being a tool for Sephiroth and Jenova felt.

Not even Vincent could relate to that. That was a role exclusively for Cloud.

"Can I ask you something?" Cloud asked, breaking the quiet moment. He didn't looked back at Kadaj; his eyes were to the city.

"Alright," Kadaj said, stepping up to his side.

"Do I have anything to worry about...concerning Loz, with Tifa?"

Kadaj's eyes narrowed, a smile hiding the rising contempt the question raised. "That depends. How trustworthy is she?"

"That's not what I meant," Cloud said, casting him an impatient look.

Kadaj's smile mellowed out, as he turned and rested his back against the edge of the table. "He would never hurt her. Not anymore."

"Are you sure?"

Disbelief was in Kadaj's eyes, "Why are you so quick to assume the worst of us?"

"I'm not," Cloud said, moving away from the window and standing before him. "I'm not," he reassured, looking the remnant directly in the eyes. Their proximity seemed to keep him from lashing out, but the anger was still in the teen's eyes. "I'm just concerned. I've talked to Vincent, he's said he still hasn't been able to get a clear answer from Loz concerning Jenova."

"He helped fight Sephiroth when he took me over."

Cloud didn't reply, but Kadaj could read the look in his eyes.

"Loz is our brother, even if he was undecided, he would never act on his own."

He was still silent, only this time, Cloud's gaze went to the floor. Kadaj shook his head softly, "Vincent doesn't doubt us. Why do you?"

"I don't doubt you, Kadaj."

"But you doubt my brothers? It's the same thing to me."

"I doubt Sephiroth, Kadaj. I don't trust Sephiroth."

"We _are not_-"

"I know, Kadaj. But it's-"

"It's hard?" he finished for him.

"Yes."

"You know what's hard?" the remnant asked, "Standing right here is hard, staring at you. Every thought, every feeling, every impulse Sephiroth ever had concerning you is inside, screaming at me. But I would never hurt you, brother. Because that is not me. Those are not my thoughts. They're the thoughts of who I used to be, not of who I am now.

"Loz is the same. If you believe I've changed, then do me a favor and believe he's changed as well."

Cloud was once again silent. Kadaj sighed, looking away from him. There he was, admitting the turmoil that was going on inside him and all his surrogate brother could do was stand there awkwardly. His hands gripped anxiously at the edge of the table.

"If anything, I would be more concerned about your own safety."

"What?" Cloud asked, jerked from whatever reverie he had gotten himself into.

"Think about it: what's the one thing standing between Loz and your girlfriend?" He raised a brow, smirking, "You."

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**A/N: Please review. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: While writing this chapter, I listened to Buck Tick's "Dokudanjou Beauty". lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Seven**

Yazoo watched the lights as they played across the walls, listened to the beats of the music as they rang through his ears. It was slow, lethargic, yet deep. It resonated in his gut, had his heart beating, his finger half-heartedly tapping against the table in rhythm. He stared upward, watching the lights at they danced, his attention fully focused on the display, ignoring everything else.

He had been here for hours now. If his estimate was right, it was probably nearing dawn. Another day. What would it bring? he wondered with a sly smile.

"Please, reconsider," the man at his side pleaded.

Yazoo lazily turned his emerald eyes back to him, looking over the pathetic man. He was on the chair opposite of him, his blue eyes asking, hoping desperately the silver-haired male would change his mind. If he knew anything about Yazoo before entering this game, he would have known to stay far away.

"No," was his simple, emotionless answer.

"But I need that bike," the man explained, "How am I supposed to get home?"

"You should have thought about that before gambling with it." Yazoo turned his attention back to the lights, his hand no longer following the rhythm of the music as he reached for his glass. He ran his fingers over the cool surface, relishing in its touch for a moment, before he brought it to his lips.

"I'll give you all the gil I have. Please. It's a long way to Kalm."

Yazoo looked back his way, a strange expression on his face. This man had traveled all the way from Kalm to come here? It was a great place, yes, but he wondered if it was worth driving so far for. And if it was so important, he thought the man would have been a bit more careful with his transportation. He wouldn't have bet it in a game he was certain to lose.

"I don't need gil," he replied.

"But-!"

Yazoo rose from his chair without warning, leaving his drink abandoned on the table while he headed toward the bar for another. He never made two steps, before the man reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!" he said, barely able to get the word out before Yazoo turned on him, taking hold of the hand that had dared to touch him. He pulled him forward, slamming his knee between the man's legs. The man convulsed in pain, unable to recover before Yazoo grabbed him by the head, slamming it down on the table. The man crumbled to the floor, unconscious and unable to get back up again.

Yazoo sighed heavily. He would pick a fight with the least defensive person in the place.

He looked around his immediate space. People were nearby, staring at the spectacle but no one daring to get involved. Yazoo shook his head, leaving the unconscious man behind and weaving his way through the crowd. A few people parted for him to pass, but most ignored him, bumping into him as they danced and lost themselves in the music. He paid no attention to the people who reacted to him, who tried to lure him into the dance with suggestive stares and a scant touch.

He ignored them all. As much as he found this club interesting, he would never be caught dead dancing.

Moving passed the lively crowd, he approached the bar. He leaned against the counter, between the line of people, awaiting the bartender who was moving back and forth serving drinks.

Yazoo was aware of a pair of eyes on him, and turned to his right. He was surprised, even if he never showed it. Sitting on a stool just beside him was a teenage girl, one he had seen before, someone he remembered seeing when he first awoke from his close encounter with death. If he remembered right, her name was Shelke.

She was staring directly at him, having no intention of hiding her presence. She seemed to fit the atmosphere of the club, despite the fact that she looked a few years too young to be permitted inside. Her legs were crossed, a drink untouched in her hand. Her face was expressionless, her eyes knowing as they bored into him, challenging him to say something, daring him to run from her.

After all, he knew why she was there. And she knew that he knew. It was her loyalty to Vincent that brought her here. However she managed to find him, he'd never know.

This place was in the lowest level of Midgar, one of the few places that had been rebuilt outside of the ever-expanding Edge. It seemed the only people who came down here were those looking for trouble, or an immoral good time. This young woman didn't fit either criteria.

Her intentions were clear, but she didn't do anything. She didn't even speak. Her mako-infused eyes just continued to stare at him, even as he turned away, pretending to ignore her.

He thought about this Shelke. He had never said as much as one word to the girl, and neither she to him. She called Vincent every so often, and they would talk for a few minutes. They were always lifeless conversations, and he wondered how two people so serious could have much of a friendship. But whenever Vincent did talk to her, Yazoo would notice the slight change in his voice, the look in his eyes and the light smile, that would tell of something deeper than a casual friendship. They shared something.

Yazoo turned back to her when the bartender was no where nearby. He didn't try to hide the fact that his eyes searched her for weapons. From what he could tell, she was unarmed. A fight between the two was unlikely, but Yazoo entertained the idea for a moment. Loz mentioned once that he had fought the girl, and that she was surprisingly good.

She had no weapons, but the one thing she did have was a cell phone. She most likely had called Vincent by now, and he would probably be there shortly. If he didn't want to be dragged back into his monotonous life, he had better leave now.

He turned from the bar. Shelke's eyes followed him as he approached the crowd, then suddenly stopped.

He hadn't thought much of where he would go. He wasn't having second thoughts about leaving, but it suddenly struck him that he would probably be followed. If Shelke had followed him here and he was only a few miles away, what would they do when he was on another continent?

He would be alone in the wild without a chaperone, and Vincent, the WRO, and even ShinRa would have no idea what he was up to. And after a while, his brothers would probably start to worry. He wondered if satisfying his need for adventure would be worth all the trouble.

He turned back to Shelke, meeting her eyes again.

"Would you like a ride?" he suddenly asked.

Shelke raised a brow. "To where?"

"Far away," he answered.

She removed her hand from her untouched drink, staring at him quizzically. She thought for a moment, before she nodded her head and stood from the stool. "Alright."

Yazoo turned and made his way through the crowd, Shelke following close behind him. He glanced back at her once as they moved through the dancers, seeing her close behind him, as unaffected by the crowd as he was. Eventually they made their way to the exit, stepping out into the brisk twilight air. The sun was beginning to rise. In any moment now, it would cover Midgar and Edge, and the people inside would leave to retreat back to their homes, to sleep off the drinks and the dancing.

Yazoo made his way to the bike parked outside, the one he had recently acquired. He pulled the keys from his pocket, glancing back at his newly found companion as he mounted the motorcycle. She took her seat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he started the engine. They said nothing to each other, as he drove away from the club, taking them toward the edge of Midgar.

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**A/N: I have this thing for Yazoo in clubs. I don't know why. Ha ha ha!**

**Anyway, if you liked it, please send me a review. Every one of them is very much appreciated. ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Gosh, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up here. I had a massive case of the flu. On top of that, the dreaded writer's block. -_- I hope you enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Eight**

Cloud ran the rag over the glass, wiping it dry after he took the time to clean it. He made sure it was clear of all the water droplets, and that it was perfectly dry, before setting it on the counter beside the dozen others he had cleaned. Afterward, he went back to the sink, pulling out another glass he had washed. His gaze wasn't on the glass however. It was to the window, to the dawn that was approaching. It brought with it a beautiful pink sunrise, and a feeling of calm he wasn't sure belonged there that morning.

Next, his eyes went to Kadaj, to the remnant who was still sitting in one of the booths, waiting for Vincent. His patience had eventually given way to fatigue. He was now leaning forward, his head rested on his folded arms, his mind far into sleep.

The sight made Cloud smile, and he couldn't help it. Simply laying there, fast asleep, Kadaj looked like an innocent child-so different from reality.

As if called by something, Kadaj's eyes suddenly opened. Cloud watched him quizzically as he sat up straight, his eyes down in confusion, his mouth gaping in wonder. Cloud set aside the other glass, devoting his whole attention to the remnant as his confusion turned to shock.

"Kadaj?"

"He left," he announced, before Cloud had even finished uttering his name. His green, cat-like eyes turned to him, shock bleeding into anger. "He left me."

The door to Seventh Heaven opened without warning, the noise of the bell being followed by the noise of Yuffie's voice. Both men looked as Vincent entered, the Wutai ninja following after him. Kadaj rose from his booth, his gaze on Vincent as the cloaked man made his way closer to him. His red eyes went from the teen to Cloud.

"Shelke called," he informed.

"Shelke?" Cloud reiterated, suddenly aware that he hadn't seen the young woman since the day before yesterday. "Where is she?"

"She's not in Midgar anymore," Vincent explained. He looked back at Kadaj, the teen wondering what Shelke had to do with all of this. "She's with Yazoo."

"She found Yazoo?" Cloud asked.

"Apparently so."

"Where are they?" Kadaj wondered, "And where are they going?"

"I was hoping you would tell me," Vincent replied, "She didn't know."

Kadaj's gaze fell. A troubled expression was clear on his face, as he began to absently pace the bar, moving around Vincent and closer to the door. After no one had said anything for a long moment, Cloud spoke.

"At least if she's with him, she can keep an eye on him."

"Why did he let her go with him though?" Vincent asked aloud to no one in particular.

Kadaj loudly kicking the wall caused them all to jump. The three of them all stared at him in confusion, Yuffie fingering her shuriken, as he looked to Vincent, letting out angry huffs of breath.

"Relax," Vincent said cautiously.

"I don't know where he is," Kadaj exclaimed, his arms quivering in anger. The look in his eyes was a little unsettling for Vincent-he had seen it many times, and he knew that all those times had led to something inevitably bad. "He left me, and I don't know where he is!"

Vincent approached him, Kadaj's gaze falling in shame. Cloud and Yuffie looked between each other, conveying their thoughts silently as Vincent took Kadaj by the shoulders, attempting to calm him down.

"You said it yourself: Yazoo will come back to you."

"But..." he looked up at him again, at a loss for words as he met his stable, comforting stare.

"He just needs some space. Give it a couple days. He'll come back."

* * *

The wind blew passed them, whipping at their clothes and sending their hair dancing in the air behind them. Shelke held onto Yazoo tightly, using his body as a shield against the harsh element. He didn't seem to mind. He ignored her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her head rested against his back. His attention only seemed to be on the land that was before him, and wherever it was they were going.

Dawn had come and gone. It was morning now, the bright sunlight shining down on them warmly, the clear sky leading their way to a new day. Shelke watched the bright day as they drove through the land. She took in the sights of the fields, of the trees blowing in the wind, of the wild chocobos that littered the plains. The monsters and potential enemies out here were far beyond their reach, unable to touch the pair as they traveled through the world.

She quite enjoyed this, despite the odd circumstances.

She noticed their speed beginning to decline and lifted her head, putting some space between her and the driver. It wasn't long before the bike came to a noticeably lesser speed, Yazoo veering off their path and heading for the patch of trees in the distance. It wasn't long before they were within the small forest, sheltered under the canopy of trees. Yazoo didn't take them far, before he brought the bike to a complete halt.

"I need to sleep," he informed simply, as he turned off the engine and removed the key.

"Very well," Shelke replied, pulling away from him fully and standing up from the bike. She paced around in circles, getting the blood flowing through her legs once again. They had been driving for quite a while now, and it was only logical that they stop to rest. Yazoo probably hadn't slept in a long time. She hadn't either.

The remnant didn't say anything to her. He simply found himself a spot against a large tree and sat down, resting his back against it. Shelke followed his example, finding a spot nearby and sitting across from him. He rested his head back and gazed at her from beneath his heavy-lidded eyes, his face expressionless, devoid of any thought or emotion. She returned his gaze similarly.

They made no small talk, spoke not of food or destination. She didn't bother asking him where they would go after they rested, or what his intentions for leaving Midgar really were. She would remain in the dark and follow him regardless. It wasn't an ideal situation, but at least it did make this trip a little interesting.

Her only worry was that he would get up and leave her once she fell asleep.

"I have to ask you something," Yazoo said, the first words that were uttered between them since they set out from Midgar.

"And what is that?" she replied. She crossed her legs over each other, rested her hands together on her lap, and tilted her head to the side. She lifted her brow slightly.

"What do you think you'll accomplish by accompanying me?"

She only took a second to think, her gaze only leaving him for that long. "I don't think I'll accomplish anything."

"Then why are you here?"

"There are many reasons," she answered honestly, and quickly.

"Such as?"

"You are a danger, and it would be foolish to let you roam unsupervised."

A soft smile touched his lips. He mimicked her pose, amused. "Give me another reason."

"Vincent wouldn't want you being out here alone. If by following you, I can help put his mind at ease, then I would gladly do it."

"Then why didn't you tell Vincent where I was while we were still in Edge?" he wondered, "Wouldn't it have been easier to just stop me right there, than to go all this distance with me?"

"Easier maybe. But it wouldn't have been very fun."

"Fun?" he repeated. It was his turn to raise a brow. His fringe fell in front of his eyes, a shadow from the tree covering his feminine face.

"Like you, I'm also bored," she replied.

He chuckled softly. He moved from his position against the tree, laying down on his back and letting the foliage cushion his body. He stared up at the sky peeking through the treetops, his attention still on his unlikely companion. "Is that all?" he asked, "It seems to me there's another reason."

"There is," Shelke admitted, "A long reason."

"I have time." His emerald eyes flickered back to her, a smile tugging at his lips.

"No, you don't. All the time in the world wouldn't make you understand."

He stared at her in disbelief and confusion, a little offended.

"But I'll shorten it for you. The circumstances in which I met Vincent Valentine compromised my mind. I had the data, and the memories, of Lucrecia Crescent downloaded into my mind. It left me with many things, many feelings."

"What kind of feelings?" Yazoo wondered.

"Feelings toward you and your brothers. Feelings you cannot begin to even understand."

His expression was quizzical, full of confusion and impatience. A smile suddenly softened her face, erasing the serene expression she had been sharing with the remnant. A look came to her eyes, a look he wasn't sure he was comfortable with.

"Maternal feelings," she clarified.

* * *

**A/N: So I was wondering...anyone want a cameo in this story? LOL I have this band of people coming up, and I thought it would be a little more interesting if I based them after other people or their ideas. Since my groups of people tend to turn out rather lame. :/**

**So, if any of you want a cameo, let me know in the review. Or you could PM me. Give me a cool Final Fantasy-ish name and a rough description to go along with it. ;)**

**So until next time... :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks everyone, for the reviews and the cameos. XD Although I probably should have mentioned that the group isn't exactly on the right side of the law... :/ Don't worry, they won't be murderers or anything. They're just...eh, you'll see. **

**It'll be a while before they make an appearance. And I want at least one more character, so if anyone else out there wants a cameo, just say so. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Nine**

The sun was just beginning to rise over Midgar Edge. The blue light was illuminating the city, calling people awake, making way for a new day. Kadaj stood braced against the window, gazing out into the city. He dared somebody to walk by and see him. He wanted an excuse to leave, to get out of here. It had been two days now, and his restlessness was starting to give way to anger.

He had spent those two days in confusion and concern, wondering just where Yazoo was, and why he had left. He hadn't even bothered to contact him, and Vincent hadn't heard anymore from Shelke. This seemed so unnatural for him, to not know where his brother was. Even when he had awakened the second time, when they were all miles and miles apart, he knew where his brothers were. He could sense them and find them.

But that was mostly because they wanted to be found. The situation was different now. Yazoo had left him in the dark, for the first time in their lives. And he didn't like it.

It was frustrating. On top of that, he seemed to be the only one concerned for Yazoo's well-being. Cloud was worried, but more worried that Yazoo would do something wrong. Vincent hadn't been concerned enough to continue looking, or to even stay and offer Kadaj and Loz some comfort. He went back to the WRO to continue with the research. Sure, he was only a matter of miles away. But still...

Everyone seemed to go back to normal. No one else had the feeling that something bad was going to come from all of this.

Kadaj let out a frustrated sigh, pushing himself away from the window. He began to pace around the bar, his hands clenched into fists.

He had stayed at Seventh Heaven for the most part of those two days. Occasionally, he would go back to the church, but his restlessness would bring him back here. Cloud would manage to calm him down, and Loz would lose his worry around the beautiful bartender. But it would only last so long, and Kadaj would find his mind racing again, and find himself arguing with the voice in his head.

Pacing seemed to silence it. It would clear his mind all the way around. If he was lucky, maybe it would tire him enough to where he could actually sleep.

He brought himself to a sudden halt, his eyes going to the counter, settling on the ring of keys set there carelessly. His eyes flashed to the upstairs, where Cloud and Tifa were sleeping in silence. He then looked to Loz, who was asleep in one of the booths, in the same fashion Kadaj had been before.

Kadaj was faced with a choice. He could hear Aeris in this thoughts, telling him what he knew would be the right thing to do. _Be patient, wait, remember the person you're trying to be._

But his life's purpose seemed secondary at this moment. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was Yazoo. He could break a few rules, give into a few impulses. If it would silence the voice in his head, if it would put his heart at ease.

He ran up to the counter, snatching the keys.

The noise caused Loz to stir from his slumber, his elder brother lifting his head and staring at him in confusion. He blinked away his tiredness when he realized what Kadaj was holding, and where he was going.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to find Yazoo," Kadaj informed, twirling the ring of keys around his finger once, as he made his way to the door.

"But-"

"Don't worry," he cut him off, offering him a smile. "I won't leave you. I'll be back."

"But..."

Kadaj quickly pulled the door open, stepping out into the brisk morning air. He quickly made his way over to the garage, where Fenrir sat in wait. He couldn't help but smile as he approached the bike. It was a smooth ride when he rode with Cloud, he wondered how it would be having the motorcycle under his own control. How much different would it be from the other bikes he had ridden?

He wiped the thin layer of dew from the metal, his eyes brightening with excitement as he mounted Fenrir, inserting the key into the ignition.

"Hey!" a voice called from behind him.

He smiled, unable to deny the piece of him that was calling from his past. He toyed with that part of himself, letting an ounce of it show through as he glanced back at Denzel. The boy was standing just outside the door, his eyes full of anger. Kadaj only winked, before he started the engine.

He knew Cloud wouldn't be oblivious to the noise. It would wake him, and he would run downstairs only to find his prize possession gone.

"Hey!" Denzel yelled again, as Kadaj pulled away from the garage, driving Fenrir to full speed as he took off through the streets of Edge, leaving Seventh Heaven and all his fears behind him.

Action was before him, and the relief he would feel when he finally found Yazoo.

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**A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it was short. It's always fun when Kadaj's deviousness comes back.**

**Please review. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I swear, everytime I get writer's block it's on a chapter with Cloud. -_-**

**As always, thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction! Well...I might. Cuz, I'm weird like that. But you get the point!**

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**Chapter Ten**

"You're kidding me," Vincent said into the phone. It would have been a very bad joke, and very uncharacteristic for Cloud. Yet part of him was hoping that he was just joking, hoping that this wasn't happening. He had not only lost one remnant, but two. On top of that, now Kadaj was stealing.

Vincent sighed heavily, dropping his head low. He used his foot to roll the chair he sat on further away from the computer, distancing himself from the research. After all, he had a feeling he wouldn't be spending much more time there.

"What is it?" Yuffie asked, wheeling her own chair closer to him. She stared at him with wide eyes, wondering what was happening. "Vincent, what is it?"

"I'll be there shortly," Vincent said to Cloud, ignoring Yuffie for the moment. He opened his eyes and looked to the computer, to the information displayed on it. Strange, how his priorities suddenly shifted, how things that once seemed so important no longer were.

"Alright," Cloud replied on the other end of the line.

"And I'm sorry...about your bike," he added.

Cloud hung up after that, Vincent following shortly after. He closed the cell phone, replacing it in its holster. Yuffie was talking once again, continuing to badger him with questions until he told her what was going on.

"Kadaj left," he answered her eventually, turning his bored gaze to meet her eyes, "And he stole Cloud's bike."

Yuffie suddenly laughed, guffawing with an intensity that was uncalled for in the situation. "I'm sorry," she apologized in the end, "It's just that...that's funny."

Vincent might have found it a little amusing, if he wasn't extremely angry. He had specifically told Kadaj to stay in Edge. The last thing he needed was two lost remnants. But that was still what he got.

"I told you this would happen," Yuffie said, shrugging as she relaxed back into her chair.

Sighing heavily, he pulled himself to his feet, walking the distance of the room to the door.

"Hey!" she said, throwing herself up and following after him. He stopped just before the door and turned to her, as she stopped just before him. "You're leaving? Again?"

"I can't have them running all over. I need to find them...and take them home."

Yuffie stood by the door even after he finished walking out of it. She watched him walk down the hall, contemplative for a moment. In the end, she followed after him, sighing. She had a feeling that her services would yet be needed, one way or another.

* * *

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this," Cloud admitted to his friend, speaking low and under his breath. Vincent turned to him, seeing how serious he was. The blonde cast his gaze to Loz, who was sitting in one of the booths, looking a bit restless.

"You don't have to worry," Vincent answered him, speaking just as low, "I promise."

Cloud didn't look too convinced, but he didn't say anything more. He slid his sword into the holster on his back, making sure everything was secure and he was ready. Vincent looked his armed, capable friend over, before turning his gaze back to Loz, and inevitably Tifa, who was standing only a few feet away from him. Suddenly, he became uncomfortable, too.

"So..." Yuffie said, walking up to the two men and encroaching on Cloud's personal space, as she swung her arm over his shoulder and leaned her weight against him. She lifted her shuriken in her other hand, looking the weapon over. "Time for us to go remnant hunting."

Cloud's already upset stare went from Yuffie to Vincent, his gaze both asking and pleading.

"You're not coming with," Vincent bluntly informed her.

"What?" the ninja exclaimed, pulling away from Cloud and approaching the raven-haired man in disbelief. "But..."

"You're staying here to watch over Loz."

"What?" the word was uttered again, this time by the lone remnant. Loz stood from the booth, his disbelieving stare joining Yuffie's.

"I don't want to sit here and baby sit him!" Yuffie said.

"And I don't need her watching over me!" Loz added.

"Then come with us," Cloud replied.

Loz crossed his arms defiantly, standing his ground and showing that he wasn't going to budge. The eldest remnant refused to go with them, telling them he wouldn't help them track down Kadaj, who was the only hope for them finding Yazoo. He said if anyone could find the runaway remnant, Kadaj could, and he would be sure to bring him back. Loz clearly thought their attempt to find them was pointless.

"Come on, Vincent! You need me," the Wutai girl pleaded.

"I need you here," he said softly.

"No, you don't!" Loz retorted.

"Maybe not, but I can't be sure of anything," Vincent replied, meeting the young man's gaze firmly, "I've already had Kadaj and Yazoo run off on me, I'm not sure I can trust you to stay either."

"I won't leave Midgar."

Vincent didn't say anything in response. He wasn't sure he could, not without invoking the young man's anger. He simply turned from him, back to Yuffie. He placed his hand on the young ninja's shoulder, his gaze asking so his words wouldn't have to. She conceded in the end, sighing heavily as she turned from him.

Vincent directed his attention back at Loz, the remnant's gaze unhappy and challenging. He wanted to say something to him, to make their parting a little less bitter. But words were never his specialty, and there didn't seem anything right for the moment. Loz also wasn't helping the atmosphere between them.

"I'll find your brothers." He said no more, turning and making his way out the door.

Cloud went the opposite direction, crossing the length of the bar to meet Tifa. He took her softly by the arms and stooped to place a short kiss on her lips. As he drew back, there was a soft smile on his face, one she returned gladly.

"Good luck," she wished him.

He nodded. "We won't be long."

He pulled away from her, throwing one last glance at Loz-his gaze unfriendly and stern-before he followed Vincent out of the bar. He found the other man waiting patiently outside, staring west, into the distance. Cloud could tell his mood was solemn, more so than normal. He walked to his side, following the direction of his gaze. They stood in silence for a moment, before Vincent spoke.

"Is this what it feels like?" he asked.

Cloud looked over at him quizzically, "What?"

"Being a father."

Cloud smiled, nodding his head. He thought of Marlene and Denzel, and how much he cherished them. He then wondered what he would feel if he were in Vincent's position, and it was his young charges who had run off on him.

"I suppose so."

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**A/N: Please review. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I really had fun writing this chapter. I hope you have just as much fun reading it. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Eleven**

Tifa made her way along the streets, listening to the laughter of the other people who crowded the city with her that night. Music filled the warm night, the street lights and the lights coming through the windows of the shops and bars illuminated her path. The whole atmosphere of the night was calm. There were no loud people in the streets, no drunkards fumbling to get home. It was much too early for that anyway.

She smiled as she looked up, seeing the stars that were just beginning to shine. This walk was just what she needed. For reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, she had been stressed lately. Things didn't seem comfortable anymore.

Maybe it was the time of year. It was this time four years ago, when the battle with Sephiroth began...when Aeris had been killed.

"You look upset," a voice said behind her, startling her and rattling her from her reverie. She spun around quickly, staring in confusion at the tall man who stood behind her. He wore a thin, hooded jacket, the hood pulled over his head to hide his infamous silver hair.

"Loz?" she asked, glancing around quickly. No one paid attention to the two of them. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, a smile lifting the corner of his lips.

"Where's Yuffie?"

He shrugged again, feigning ignorance. Tifa knew better. The young ninja was supposed to be with him at the church, and even though she scarcely went within ten yards of the remnant, she kept a careful eye on him. Tifa was curious as to how he managed to elude her.

"Aren't you not supposed to be out here?" she questioned, after not getting a response from her last words. She reached out and tugged at the bottom of his jacket, getting another smile from him.

"You like it?" he asked, "I bought it."

"You bought it?" she repeated, doubtful. She recalled when she had found him earlier that year, and how he had been stealing everything he needed.

"Yes, I did."

She decided not to push the matter. She turned back to her original direction and began walking again, the remnant now beside her. They walked for a bit, silence between them. Tifa found herself smiling again, and realized she enjoyed his company.

"So why are you upset?" he asked.

She crossed her arms, her gaze falling to the ground for a moment, "I'm not upset. I'm just...thinking."

"About what?"

"About Aeris," she answered, looking back at him with a smile. She expected him to return it, knowing how ecstatic his brothers had become over their new "mother". She figured he felt the same, and was confused when she saw him avoid her gaze, a hardened look on his face. "It's been almost four years now," she continued, not sure how to take his change in mood, "It seems so far away, yet, at the same time, like it just happened yesterday. I wish she hadn't been taken away from us, yet...sometimes it still feels like she's here. You know?"

"No," he answered bluntly, "I wouldn't know."

She didn't reply. They walked a few more steps, his eyes still ahead at nothing, as he mulled over something difficultly. She waited, and eventually, he did speak. "Mother doesn't talk to me."

"Aeris?"

He nodded.

"You've never seen her?"

"I've had a few dreams, but that's all they are-dreams. She doesn't talk with me like she does Kadaj or Yazoo."

Tifa thought over what he told her and felt sorry for him, as she saw how hurt he was over it. "Maybe she speaks to you in other ways? Sometimes, things aren't so obvious. You have to look deeper to find them. I'm sure she's there, Loz. Just try and be patient, and listen harder."

He stopped walking and turned to face her. His hardened expression softened, and he met her eyes as she stopped along side him. She offered him a soft smile, and the look in his eyes completely changed. It was look she was familiar with, and a look that was making her uncomfortable.

"You're beautiful," he suddenly announced.

She turned away from him, both awkward and bashful.

"And I don't mean just your smile, or your eyes, or your hair..."

"Loz," she stopped him, knowing what he was trying to say to her.

The sound of her phone ringing cut through the awkward moment, much to her relief. She turned away from him and pulled it from her belt, looking at the number before she answered. Yuffie. She should have been expecting that one. She looked back at Loz-and his changed demeanor-briefly, before opening the cell phone and placing it to her ear.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Where is he?" Yuffie asked, as if she knew he would automatically gravitate back to her. The ninja was clearly frustrated.

"He's here," Tifa answered, trying to hold back a chuckle.

"That good-for-nothing, over-grown..._remnant!_"

"What happened? He wouldn't tell me. How'd he slip away?" She looked to Loz again to see him with a triumphant smile on his face.

"He's slick!" Yuffie answered, "You wouldn't think it, but he's sneaky."

"She fell asleep," Loz clarified.

"He's here with me, he won't be going anywhere," Tifa assured her.

"I'm on my way there to pick him up."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Tifa said. She couldn't exactly imagine the young girl coming and dragging him away. Not like he would listen to her anyway.

"And don't tell Vincent about this!" she snapped, before suddenly hanging up the phone.

Tifa shook her head as she closed the phone again, replacing it on her belt. "She'll be coming to join us."

Loz huffed and shook his head, crossing his arms as he turned from the woman. He began walking again, and she followed after him, glad the last piece of their conversation was already forgotten.

"You shouldn't ditch her like that," Tifa advised.

"She's annoying!"

"Yuffie can be a bit...eccentric, but Vincent told her-"

She was interrupted by a loud voice that disrupted the quiet night. The both of them stopped in their tracks, along with all the other people there. They looked the direction of the yell, curious and cautious.

"Hey!" the same voice called again, yelling intensely.

A man came tearing down the street unexpectedly, pushing aside anyone who got in the way, knocking over pedestrians in an attempt to get as far away as possible.

"Stop him!" the man cried from behind him, feebly attempting to chase after him, "He stole my wallet, stop him!"

The man fled passed Tifa and Loz, the remnant jumping out at him only a second after he had passed. He grabbed the man by the back of the collar, bringing his flight to a sudden halt. He was pulled back, then flung to the ground. He landed harshly on his back, the wind being knocked out of him and the wallet flying from his hands.

Loz rose back to his full height, smiling as the thief laid incapacitated on the ground. The wallet skidded along the ground, its owner running up to the scene and stopping before it all. He quickly gathered his possession, then turned his attention to Loz, a grateful smile stretching across his face.

"Thank you!" he said, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I need this money." He stopped himself when his need for oxygen got the better of him. He leaned forward and breathed heavily to catch his breath.

Loz didn't respond to his gratitude. He only smiled, turning his attention back to Tifa.

She returned the gesture warily, knowing he had done this act of kindness mostly to impress her. That was alright, she figured. As long as someone was helped by it. She stepped closer to him, taking his hood and pulling it back over his head. The quickly movement had caused it to fall down.

"Hey," a man in the crowd said, his voice suspicious as he stepped forward and approached Loz. He looked directly at his face, and the silver hair he could see from under the hood. "You! You're one of the terrorists that attacked our city! Two years ago."

Tifa looked between the two, her fear realized. Loz took a step back from the man, averting his gaze as he continued to scrutinize him. He didn't say anything to him. He didn't lie, he didn't defend himself. He only stood there for the crowd to see, for them to examine with their own judgment.

"You brought those creatures here. You took our children and killed all those people!"

"Wait," Tifa said, stepping forward, trying to keep the situation calm.

"You destroyed our monument," another man interjected, "You brought so much destruction to our already hurting city!"

The people around them were beginning to talk amongst themselves, many of them shooting the remnant hateful glances. Now that it was mentioned, they recognized him as well. The injustices from two years ago were suddenly brought back to their memory. The thief on the ground was forgotten. The only one who still remembered the recent theft was the owner of the wallet, who stood in conflict with himself, unsure of what all these people were saying.

"He's different now," Tifa tried to defend him. But her words were lost among the words that started to rise in anger, the accusations that were thrown around.

Loz stood silent throughout it all. He glanced around at all of them, as they called for his death and punishment. He suddenly turned from them, running away.

"Loz!" Tifa called. She immediately followed after him, leaving behind the crowd that was urging him to get away from their city. She lost sight of him among all the citizens, and in the darkness, he blended in with shadows, disappearing from her sight.

She stopped when she was convinced she could follow him no longer. She sighed heavily, the noise of the riled up crowd a murmur in the distance. The reality of their situation with the remnants made its way back to her mind. She was reminded once again of what they really were, and all the things they had done. No matter how different they had become, some things just couldn't be erased from memory.

* * *

Shelke stared at the mountains they had left behind, taking in their shape in the darkness. Midgar was far behind those mountains, the first home she had had in years quite a distance away. She wasn't bothered by this. It didn't upset her, but she knew that at one point or another, she would miss the warm bar and its warm occupants. She would miss Tifa's words of wisdom, Cloud's silent demeanor, and the smiling faces of the children she had come to think of as younger siblings.

Her thoughts of them elicited a smile. She turned away from those mountains, her smile falling away as her attention was taken by the solemn remnant. There were no smiling faces here, and no words of wisdom.

They had traveled just beyond Junon now, and were heading the direction of Fort Condor. Shelke was wondering what Yazoo intended to do once he got there. And what type of excitement was he looking for? The only excitement they had thus far was some site-seeing.

"It might actually be more fun if we had a goal in mind," Shelke advised, breaking the ten-hour-long silence between them.

Yazoo looked up at her from his place by his bike. He was carefully examining the motorcycle. It had started acting strange ever since they left Junon. "No one's forcing you to follow me," he replied.

"But how could I have refused your generous offer?" she teased, in her own flat way. She leaned against the bike, watching the remnant was he walked along the edge of the forest they had stopped beside.

They didn't say anything more. They fell back into the structure of their strange companionship. Shelke figured this would be another quiet, uneventful night. She wondered how Yazoo, who had been so restless elsewhere, was content to just drive over the world, unsure of where he was going. Perhaps it was just the freedom he longed for, to get away from his rather odd family structure.

Shelke's thoughts were interrupted when a rock unexpectedly flew through the hair, hitting Yazoo square in the head. She stared in shock as the precise hit caused him to crumble to the ground.

"Yazoo!" she called.

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**A/N: *evil snicker* Now the really interesting stuff starts happening...**

**Please review. ^_^**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I don't know what took me so long to write this, if it was just writer's block, or my own fear...O_O I did a bunch of research on FFVII on the internet, and that helped. It also gave me another story idea. -_- And I swear, that is not what I need write now. My brain is going to overload with story ideas! Well, on the bright side, you may have something else of mine to read when this is all done with.**

**Anyhoo...I hope you enjoy this. OH! And I need to give a shout out to...Spiritwinned! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters. I also don't own Chaza [but I got permission for him ;) ].**

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**Chapter Twelve**

This was strange. Maybe ironic was the word. Kadaj wasn't sure. He stared at the town of Junon before him, Fenrir's engine humming comfortably beneath him. He hadn't been here in quite a while. Not since he and Vincent had been trapped at the inn during the last winter's snow storm. The memory evoked a smile.

He drove through the streets, glancing at the unfamiliar faces of the pedestrians he passed. He watched the tall buildings, smelled the salt of the sea. He took in everything that was Junon, despite the fact that he was exhausted. His anger had been diminished by his change of scenery, and the sense of freedom Fenrir had given him. He still intended to beat some sense into Yazoo once he found him, but right now he was too tired to think about. He would eat something, then rest for the night. He would find Yazoo in the morning, after all, he was very close by.

He brought the bike to a halt outside the inn, staring up at the three-story building. He left Fenrir behind, taking the keys with him and hiding them away in his pocket, as he entered the inn.

The smell of food cooking made his mouth water and his stomach ache more than it already was. He glanced around the virtually empty space. The tables and chairs were all empty, despite the food that tempted anyone who walked by the front door. The counter at the end of the lobby was empty as well, the innkeeper out of sight. Kadaj certainly hoped he hadn't missed him.

"Hello?" he called, leaning over the counter to try and peer into the kitchen behind it. He jumped back when a man suddenly popped up before him, looking a little frazzled. Kadaj recognized the innkeeper immediately, but in his state, it took the older gentleman a little longer to do the same.

"Sorry," he said immediately, "Welcome. What can I do for...Hey, Kadaj!"

The remnant offered a friendly smile, leaning forward on the counter again, "Hello, Chaza."

Kadaj had met the man the last time he had been here. The power had gone out, so the innkeeper wasn't aware of the fact that he had been handcuffed at the time. In his opinion, Chaza was a hard-working, friendly gentleman, who had taken a liking to the young remnant. He also thought he had a soft spot for his boyish looks and the way Kadaj always put on an air of childish innocence around him.

"What brings you back here?" Chaza asked, adjusting the patch over his left eye as he talked.

"Traveling," he answered, "I'm very tired and _very_ hungry. Can I get a meal and a room?"

"Sure. I'll be out in a minute." Chaza turned and disappeared in the kitchen, leaving Kadaj to stand there on his own. The remnant sighed heavily, forcing his eyes to stay open as he rubbed the back of his aching neck.

It was only a few minutes later when the innkeeper came back out, a bowl of steaming stew in his hands. He slid the meal to Kadaj, as the remnant reached into his pocket for his money. "The meal's on the house," Chaza said, "It'll be forty flat for the room."

The remnant smiled to him gratefully, handing him the amount of gil in exchange for a room key. "Thank you, Chaza."

The man nodded to him, before Kadaj left the counter and went for a table. He took the one in the far corner of the room and sat heavily in the seat, before he began eating the meaty soup. It was delicious and he ate it ravenously, not only curing his hunger but temporarily sating his fatigue.

The lobby was silent, the only noise coming from Chaza as he organized something behind his work station. Kadaj watched him from a lack of anything else to watch. He marveled at the man, wondering how he could be content to live such a simple existence. He probably lived at this inn for years, doing nothing but serving its patrons. From his scars, it was obvious he had lived a life full of adventure and action. Kadaj wondered how someone could go from such a lively way of life to something so mundane.

Maybe his lively existence was what brought him here. Perhaps he was tired of all the fighting.

The noise of footsteps coming down the stairs pulled Kadaj from his thoughts. He glanced at the case that led from the second floor and watched the man clad in black, with auburn red hair, descending. His hand slid along the railing as his gaze settled on Kadaj for a second, then quickly flashed over to Chaza. Kadaj noticed he smiled directly at him in that brief second their eyes met.

"Chaza," the auburn-haired man greeted the innkeeper, approaching the bar and leaning against it, "I need a drink."

"A drink?" the keeper questioned, staring at him strangely. "Now?"

"Not that type of drink. I need something _to_ drink."

"Oh," Chaza replied, "What kind?"

"Juice. Any kind, it doesn't matter."

"Alright." Chaza stared at his patron strangely, before turning and making it back to the kitchen.

The strange man clad in black looked over his shoulder, back at Kadaj, meeting his gaze once again, "On second thought, make that two!" he called to the innkeeper.

Kadaj paused with a spoonful of soup in his mouth, staring back at the man and his unwavering blue eyes. A strange feeling crept over him, something he couldn't explain. The other man's smile never left, even as he pulled his gaze away to take the drinks from Chaza.

Like predicted, the man headed straight for his table. Kadaj's unfriendly gaze held his the entire time.

"A drink?" the stranger offered, that smile still on his face. It softened his features, but at the same time didn't make him seem any friendlier. It was a knowing, almost amused, smile. It spoke words Kadaj couldn't quite understand. It made him uncomfortable, yet at the same time, he wasn't repulsed by him. Something about him was familiar. Maybe it was those eyes, so bright and blue, so much like Cloud's.

They told of a life in SOLDIER.

"I noticed you don't have one," the stranger continued, after he didn't respond. He held one glass out to him. "It's just juice." He took a sip of the other glass to find out what type of juice it was. His features showed a bit of distaste as he swallowed it. "Apple."

Figuring there would be no harm in it, Kadaj accepted the man's offer with a nod. The smile on his face was pleased.

"Mind if I have a seat?" he asked.

"No," Kadaj replied. After all, they were the only two patrons here. Maybe the familiar stranger just wanted some company.

He sat in the chair across from him, his eyes going to Kadaj's soup as he continued to eat. The stranger took another sip of his drink, his eyes going to the window and the twilight outside. "So what brings you to Junon, friend?"

"Just traveling," he answered, sipping from his juice. After a long point of silence, Kadaj asked, "What about you?"

The man smiled again, his eyes still to the window. "I was looking for someone."

"Did you find him?"

His smile turned a little sad, his mako eyes turning back to meet his. "Only what was left of him."

Kadaj wasn't sure what that meant, but he decided not to press the subject. It didn't look like it was something the man wanted to discuss.

"Not to be presumptuous, but you seem to be looking for someone as well. I can always tell when a person is searching for something, it's clear in their eyes."

Kadaj sipped from his juice. Was he really that easy to read, or was his fatigue allowing his feelings over the situation to surface again? Now that he had finished his soup, he felt his tiredness coming on him once again. He sighed heavy, resting his elbow on the table and his head on his palm.

"My brother," he answered, shrugging.

"You have a brother?" his eyes were alight with interest, "Is he as unique as you?"

"Unique?"

"Silver hair, interesting eyes?"

Kadaj had never been reminded of his appearance by anyone, not even the townspeople in Nibelheim, who were all familiar with him. It wasn't an appearance he would flaunt, but also wasn't something he could get rid of.

"Your eyes are interesting, too," he remarked, diverting the subject.

The stranger smiled again, "My eyes are the eyes of sorrow."

"The eyes of a soldier?"

He nodded softly. "For a soldier, the end is inevitably sorrow."

"Well, you're not dead yet," Kadaj remarked. He blinked to relieve his drying eyes, fought hard to keep his vision in focus.

"Not yet." The stranger drank from his juice, this time ignoring the fact that the taste displeased him.

"What's your name?" Kadaj asked, wondering if hearing it would somehow jar his memory. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this man.

"Loveless."

"Loveless?" he asked. He remembered something, but not anything about the stranger. "Isn't that a play?"

"Actually, it was a book first."

Kadaj smiled, amused. "Your mother must have really loved it."

"Not as much as I did." Loveless relaxed into his chair, eyeing the tired teen. "What about your name?"

"Kadaj."

Loveless repeated it, weighing how it felt on his tongue.

Kadaj nodded, running his hand down his face, as if trying to wipe his fatigue away. He looked from Loveless to his empty bowl on the table, then to Chaza's station. The man wasn't behind the counter. He blinked as his vision went fuzzy again, the room swaying a bit, side to side.

Was he really that tired? He had gone longer than this without sleep and this had never happened. What was happening to him?

"Are you alright?" Loveless asked, noticing his state.

Kadaj looked back at him, his image swaying, that same smile on his face. His knowing eyes looked right back at him, amused.

The remnant suddenly stood from his chair, realizing what was happening. His gaze went down to his half drunken apple juice-his drugged, half drunken apple juice.

"You..." He tried to step back, but only stumbled. His leg caught on his chair, sending it scraping over the floor, sending him crashing onto his back. He had to get to his room, that was his only thought. He could lock himself in there, away from this familiar stranger, away from whatever he planned to do with him.

Loveless rose along with him, his glass forgotten as he took a step closer to Kadaj. The remnant tried in vain to crawl away from him, his arms and legs too heavy to move. He looked to the counter, to where Chaza was not. He tried to call for the man, but the only noise that came passed his lips was a small groan, not even loud enough to be heard.

Loveless's hand was now on his arm, pulling him effortlessly from the floor. Kadaj watched him in fear, his body unresponsive, paralyzed. Loveless's smile took on a sinister turn, as he gathered the remnant in his arms. The last thing Kadaj saw with his vibrant eyes, before everything went black.

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**A/N: Genesis scares me. O_O Or the aspect of writing about him scares me. O_O **

**Although I did enjoy this...I liked the simple, unspectacularness of his entrance.**

**Anyhoo...**

**Please review. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Oddly enough, it took me three tries to get this chapter right. :/ And it would have been up DAYS ago, if my account here didn't have an error. -_-**

**I WOULD LIKE TO THANK: ****Silver Tears 11; AnimeRANDOMNESS; Kibasgirltsumi; & Spiritwinned...twice. XD**

**I hope you all enjoy the randomness of this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. (There is only one character I own in this entire chapter actually.)**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

The first thing Yazoo was aware of was a throbbing pain in the side of his head. It made him wince and groan softly as he turned over, trying to get into a more comfortable position. He opened his eyes, his headache flaring before he was forced to close them again. He heard high-pitched laughter - a sound that wasn't making his head ache any better.

"Hey, look!" a voice broke through his thoughts. It accompanied the sound of the crackling fire, and the disorderly shuffling of feet. He turned over, forcing his eyes open once more, despite the pain. Before his eyes adjusted, all he saw was the color blue.

It wasn't long before he realized the blue mass was actually a woman. She was leaning over him, a pleased smile on her young face. Long blue hair hung over her right shoulder, the scar over her left eye not diminishing the joyous glint in her bright blue irises.

Yazoo quickly tried moving, and soon found that it was very difficult, considering his arms were bound behind his back. His instincts quickly took over, looking for a way out of his situation while simultaneously trying to figure out how he had gotten into it. He took in everything very quickly - the clearing in the trees, the strange woman before him, and the other three people behind her, his bike across from him, the fire between, and his young companion only a few feet away, arms and legs thoroughly bound.

He remembered the pain in his head, and figured out what had happened.

He maneuvered himself into a sitting position, the blue-haired girl taking a step back from him as he did so. Her smile never left, only turned to the other woman sitting only a few feet away.

"Shelke?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine," she replied simply, her eyes glowing orange as she stared at the blue woman, her gaze threatening murder.

"Shelke," the woman repeated the name.

One of the other three people who joined them in the clearing came forward - a blonde woman wearing red and black leather. Her dark blue eyes looked at Yazoo closely, as she swung her arm over the other woman's shoulder. She kept a small chuckle subdued behind her closed lips, an interest in her eyes that Yazoo wasn't quite sure he wanted to understand.

"What are we gonna do with him?" the blonde asked.

"We have to wait for Ivan," the blue-haired one replied.

"Oh, we all know what Ivan'll wanna do with him," she replied flatly.

The other woman smacked her playfully on the stomach, before the blonde removed herself from her, walking back over to her previous spot on the other side of Shelke. She sat herself down on her pile of books, shaking her head at their inside joke.

Yazoo's eyes went from her, back to the blue woman standing guard over him. Her arms were crossed, her Mako-colored eyes still boring into him.

He turned away, instead meeting Shelke's gaze.

"They're thieves," his companion explained, "They want your bike."

Yazoo sighed heavily, frustrated. He looked over to the motorcycle directly across from him. It looked untouched for now, but he couldn't stand the thought of any of these people touching it.

"We'd take more, but you two have nothing on you besides the clothes on your back, and few gil," his guard informed.

"Unbind me," he firmly ordered. He wouldn't bother himself by asking who these people were or what they intended to do with him.

His guard chuckled, shaking her head. "You're not really in any position to make demands."

A young boy approached his guard, wrapping his arms around her from behind and staring at the silver-haired male with suspicious eyes. He looked to be about twelve years old, with long sandy hair. He had a freckled face, and a mischievous grin that was just waiting to surface.

The blue haired woman put her arm around him as he used her body to hide himself from their catch.

"It's okay, Jaika," he said, patting him affectionately on the top of the head.

"I like him," the boy said, a toothy grin coming to his face.

"Why would you like him? He hasn't done anything, barely even said a word."

"I don't know. He's funny."

Yazoo raised a brow. _Funny?_

The blue-haired woman patted him on the head again, in a less-affectionate way. "Whatever, just don't get too close, and we'll all be okay. Now go see if you can't find Ivan."

"But Hail, I don't wanna. Send Lyra!"

"I'm not gonna go. It's not my fault the man is late," the blonde woman said, pulling a book from her pile and flipping through it.

The last of the small group rose from her place by the fire, lifting a long silver scythe from the ground and carrying it with her. Her long white hair swayed against her back as she made her way passed them, staring at them dully as she went through the path cut through the clearing. Yazoo only watched her for a brief second, before looking back at the other two.

They watched her leave without a word, Hail shaking her head and her vibrant locks.

Yazoo turned from them to Shelke. The girl's eyes were still glowing orange, only now their venom was directed toward him. "I can't believe you didn't see that rock coming toward your head."

He did his own version of a scowl, before turning away from her blame. As reluctant as he was to admit it, she was right. How could he have not seen or heard that?

"That was my handy work, by the way," Hail said with a cocky smile.

"Really?" Yazoo asked, his scowl now facing her. "Then I'll kill you first."

Her brows rose with interest, and the boy cowering behind her took a cautious step back. "This aughta be interesting," she commented.

The sounds of shuffling feet and moving underbrush made them all look to the path the white-haired woman went to. She emerged once again, saying nothing and walking straight back to her previous spot. Following behind her were two men. Both looked to be in their mid-twenties, with lean muscular bodies. The first had straight brown hair, and dark shades that covered his eyes entirely. A red sword was held in his left hand, but he re-sheathed it as he went to the fire and took a seat beside the white-haired woman. He paid little attention to their bounty, unlike the other man.

The black-haired male first looked to the bike, then his eyes slowly went to Yazoo and Shelke. A sly grin covered his face as he approached them, the chains on his belt jingling and swaying as he walked. Hail turned to him, Jaika still under her arm. She gestured to the two, the cocky grin once again on her face.

"What can I say? I'm good," she commented.

He turned to her, some kind of faked-affection in his eyes. "I love you. Marry me, Ms. Darvey."

Disgust covered her face, and she took a few steps back from him. "Not in a million years."

Her response only made him smile. Hail took Jaika with her as she stepped back, making way for the dark haired male as he stood before Yazoo and Shelke.

The both of them met his gaze with flat, venomous eyes. He looked unaffected, that sly smile still on his angular face. His green eyes looked them over long and hard, before he finally spoke.

"So...What's two travelers like yourselves doing all the way out here?"

"Traveling," Shelke answered simply.

This only elicited a chuckle from him. He crouched down so that he was more with their level. "It's dangerous out in the wild. I would have thought you'd at least be armed."

"I don't need a weapon," Yazoo replied calmly.

"Says the man who couldn't dodge a rock thrown by _that_ woman." He pointed to Hail with his gloved thumb.

"Hey!" she snapped.

"Who are you?" Shelke asked, "And what do you want with us?"

"The name's Ivan. You've met Hail here, and Jaika," he gestured to the two, Jaika lifting his hand and waving. "The blonde is Lyra, and that's Artemis and Luke by the fire. As a whole, you can call us Enfys.

"As for what we want...We want the bike. I'm sure we'd be able to get a pretty penny out of it. If you had anything else on you, we'd take that, too."

"But we don't have anything, and you have your bike. So why do you still have us?"

The look of Ivan's smile changed. He brought his gloved hand up to his chin, where he thoughtfully tapped himself on the lips. "I don't know yet. I'm still thinking there might be something I can use you two for."

"And what would that be?" Yazoo questioned.

Ivan rose fluidly back to his full height, gazing down at him, his head tilted to the side. "You'd be surprised, kitten."

"'Kitten?'" Shelke repeated, confused and a bit horrified.

Yazoo slumped against a tree. "Ugh...not again."

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**A/N: Ivan is sort of an inside joke for me. He's gotten himself in four totally unrelated stories now, and that failure of a manga I tried drawing. :/ He was first a suave teenager, then a twenty-something soldier, a bored teenager, then an ex-druggie teenager. Now he's a leader of a band of thieves. Haha, can't wait to see where he ends up next.**

**Anyhoo...**

**Please review. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello everyone! ^_^**

**I decided to take a couple weeks break and really think my story here though, and figure out all the plot and stuff. So that's where I've been, if anyone was wondering. lol**** It helped a lot. So hopefully I won't dread the coming chapters as much. :D**

**As always, thanks for the favorites, alerts, and reviews. You're all the best. ^_^**

**Enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

Loz sat in the dark, watching the sky through the open window. It was peaceful out, nothing but a soft breeze stirring the night. The stars hung over Edge, the moon shone brightly beyond. The streets were quiet this late. Those who had been out earlier, who had caused a commotion, who has accused him, who had sent him running-they would all be gone now, tucked into their own beds, unable to harm him. Unable to hurt him...

He was angry. He had been angry all night, ever since that incident. He had done something good. What right did those people have to destroy his moment? He had been trying so hard since awaking again. He helped keep his neighbors in Nibelheim safe by fighting off the creatures around the town, he hadn't caused Vincent any trouble, and even now he was obeying him. He ignored the impulses in the back of his mind, and that ever-present voice that sought to control him. After doing so much, why did people have to treat him like he was a danger?

He felt a tear run down his cheek and quickly wiped it away. He could almost hear Yazoo scolding him, teasing him for his display of emotion. He hated the way that made him feel.

The lights in the room came on, making him turn to the open door. He faced Tifa, the woman's eyes wide with surprise as she beheld him in her room, tears on his face.

She didn't say anything, and he offered no explanation as he wiped the tears from his eyes, trying his best to look stable.

It was very late, but he was counting on the fact that she wouldn't turn him away. He was hoping she would realize that he needed her now, in one way or another. She would quiet his mind, and take away his pain, if only for a little while.

She left the door to stand before him, her hand on his arm despite how awkward she looked. She kept her gaze from his, but he could still see the sympathy in her eyes.

She did understand.

"It was a nice thing you did, helping that man," she assured.

"Does it matter?" he asked, his voice hardened over his lingering anger.

"It mattered to him."

Her words softened his emotions, let him think clearly enough to realize how beautiful she was in that moment. She was obviously tired, but looked as radiant as ever. The breeze touched her hair, causing it to dance softly. He reached out, letting the dark strands slide against his fingers.

Tifa took his hand, but not in the manner he wanted her to. She pulled it away from her face.

"Are you angry at me?" he asked.

She met his eyes for the first time, confused by his sudden question.

"About before? When we fought, and I took Marlene."

She thought for a moment, unsure how to answer him. He dreaded what she would say, but he needed to know. "I'm not angry, but it's hard to forget the painful things."

He grinned, softly and boyishly. "It's easier when you remember the better things, the happier things."

"I suppose so," she agreed, smiling lightly.

"I wouldn't ever hurt you, not any more. You know that, right?"

She nodded, the first glimpse of real joy in her eyes. "I know. You don't have to convince me you've changed."

She turned away from him, removing her hands from his arm as she approached her bed. There was pile of folded laundry there, and she began sifting through it, separating the clothes and towels into smaller piles. Loz took a seat on the other bed-Cloud's bed-and watched her. She didn't seem bothered that he stayed there, his eyes drinking her in. The silence was peaceful, her presence comforting.

"I want you, Tifa," he announced.

The words caused her to stop, the folded shirt held midair in her hands. She glanced his direction, but again, wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Even though I know I can't have you," he continued. "I know you love our brother, but it seems unfair. Didn't...Didn't Aeris want us to find each other? Otherwise, why would she bring us together, knowing it would make me feel this way?"

For the longest time, she didn't answer him. She didn't even know what to say. "Maybe she didn't know," she said, resuming her work.

"But she's our mother, she knows everything."

Tifa shrugged. "Maybe she knew we needed each other, just differently. After all, we'd both be dead if we hadn't found each other."

"But what's the point of living if you don't have a purpose?"

She turned to him, sympathy and pity in her eyes. "You have a purpose, Loz."

"Then what is it? I thought you were my purpose."

She made her way back to him, her hands on his head. He enjoyed her touch, as she softly stroked his silver locks. He lifted his sunken head, meeting the hope she was trying to convey through her eyes. "Don't worry. You'll find it."

He rose back to his feet, towering over her. He placed his hands softly on her arms, looking deep into her eyes and trying so hard to find what he wanted. He wanted to see his own feelings reflected back at him, even though he wasn't sure what those feelings were. He had never felt them before. He knew what it was to care for someone, but this...

This was different.

He stooped to her and stole a kiss, knowing she was likely to push him away. She might hit him, scold him, then send him from her room. He knew doing this might ruin the friendship they were building. But he needed this. He needed to feel her kiss one last time, even if she hated him for it.

But she did none of those things. She did nothing at all.

He slowly drew back from her, unsure of what he would see when he looked in her eyes. He expected to see anger, but there was none. He saw pity, and perhaps something else. Whatever it was, he could at least pretend it was the same feeling as his.

She didn't try to pull away from him, even as he loosened his hold on her. She remained looking into his eyes, until her gaze dropped to his lips.

He took her by the waist this time, daring to make another move. His lips were on hers again. He kissed her deeply, pulling her warm body against his, taking advantage of everything she was willing to tolerate. He was surprised when he felt her return the kiss. Her hands were on his strong arms again, returning his hold as she shivered in his arms.

She was afraid of this, ashamed of this. But he would make it alright. And even though he didn't know what his feelings were, he would show them to her.

Loz felt her withdrawing, and broke the kiss. He opened his closed eyes, the both of them taking in deep breaths as they remained in each other's arms. He could tell she was confused, but it didn't matter to him. He would make her understand, soon enough.

She turned from him and looked to the door, gasping and jumping in his arms. Loz followed her gaze, his expression going sour when he spotted Yuffie in the door.

The ninja's arms were crossed, and she was clearly displeased.

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**A/N: Oi. That chapter was difficult. I hope I don't regret it, and all the inevitable drama that will ensue. -_-**

**Please review. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I've been so lazy lately...I don't know why this took me so long. lol**

**Enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter Fifteen**

Vincent entered the familiar building, Cloud only a step behind him. The two of them stood by the door for a moment, Vincent looking around the lobby and noting that it hadn't changed much. The place had electricity-that was only thing different since the last time he had been there. A few people were there, sitting at the tables and talking amongst themselves. The inn keeper wasn't in sight, but the noise coming from the kitchen told Vincent where he was.

Both he and Cloud approached the counter, and he peered beyond into the kitchen. Cloud rang the service bell that Vincent didn't notice was there.

It was only a second before Chaza was before them, a strange smile on his face. "Vincent, I thought you might show up soon," he said, leaning against the counter.

"Really?" Vincent asked, raising a brow.

"Yep. Kadaj was here a few days ago," he replied openly.

"Where did he go?" Vincent asked, after Chaza didn't speak for a moment. His smile was now gone, and he wore a serious look Vincent didn't like.

"I'd tell you if I could. He just vanished, before he even went to his room."

Vincent exchanged glances with Cloud, the confusion and concern clear in the blonde man's eyes. Neither said anything; neither had to.

"I guess that wouldn't be too strange, but he left his bike here," Chaza said.

"He did?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, I moved it out back when I realized he wasn't coming back for it."

Vincent went silent, his eyes down at nothing as he thought it all over. He had an uncomfortable feeling-worse than the feeling he had when he ran away in the first place.

"Have you asked around if anyone's seen him?" Cloud asked.

Chaza shrugged, "I got nothing. There isn't a trace of him. Anywhere."

Cloud turned to Vincent. "Would he leave the bike to throw us off?"

"His goal wasn't to get away, it was to find his brother. Why would he leave it behind?"

"Um..." the innkeeper started, getting their attention once more. "He also wasn't the only one of my patrons who went missing."

"There was someone else?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah, a man named Loveless. At least that's what he said his name was. He'd been here a for a couple of weeks. I saw him talking to Kadaj the day the boy came here, then I never saw either of them again. None of Loveless's stuff was even moved from his room."

Cloud and Vincent were once again looking at each other, similar thoughts going through their minds.

"This Loveless man...do you know anything about him?" Cloud wondered.

Chaza scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head helplessly. "Not really. I don't even know where he's from. He just came here one day. He never did anything that made me uneasy, but...something about him just didn't seem right."

"Can we check out his room?" Vincent asked, straight-forward.

Chaza nodded slowly, reaching beneath the counter to pull out a key. He also took out some gil, sliding it across the counter to the man. "That was what Kadaj paid me for the room."

Vincent nodded as he took the gil from, "Thank you."

The innkeeper gestured to the stairs as he stepped out from behind the counter. Both men followed to him to the room.

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Vincent stood at the bottom of the hotel bed, gazing down at the perfectly made sheets. He was disappointed, and displeased. Cloud continued to look around the room, searching for what clearly wasn't there. There were no hints about this Loveless man, no clues that would even begin to suggest what type of person he was. There was a map in the room, along with a couple potions and some gil. A few pairs of clothing were in the dresser, but they were plain and unmarked.

Wherever Loveless came from, and wherever he went, was a complete mystery.

Cloud stopped his searching and went to Vincent's side, staring at him seriously. He spoke low, gazing at Chaza warily, as the innkeeper remained by the door. "Who would want to kidnap Kadaj? And why?"

Vincent thought for a moment. There were a couple reasons he could think of.

"Shinra?" Cloud asked.

"Rufus knows the situation."

"Rufus also didn't approve of them being free."

Vincent shook his head, glancing over the room one last time. "It doesn't sound right."

"Who else then?" the blonde wondered, "What reason would someone want him for...besides the obvious one?"

Vincent knew what he meant.

"You mentioned Shinra," Chaza said from his place by the door. Clearly, they hadn't been talking low enough.

"What about it?" Cloud asked.

"Loveless...he had eyes like you, the eyes of a SOLDIER."

Both paused for a minute, exchanging glances yet again. "We may have to pay Rufus a visit after all," Vincent commented, "He might be our only lead to finding out who this man is."

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Yazoo had moved himself closer to Shelke, figuring it would be safer to be in close proximity, even though they were both still bound. They didn't speak much to each other, but that wasn't very surprising. They were both more of observers, watching their captors for any chance they might have of escape. If they were lucky, maybe they could find a weakness to exploit.

Currently, the six of them were all gathered around the fire, in the midst of a discussion. Hail was the closest to the captives, keeping one eye on them at all times. Luke and Artemis were both silent. Ivan and Lyra were doing the most talking, continuously countering one another. Jaika was bent over a pot boiling over the fire, his focus intent on whatever it was he was cooking.

"Are you sure no one will come looking for them?" Lyra asked. Her eyes briefly flickered to Yazoo and Shelke.

"It doesn't matter," Ivan replied, looking frustrated by this point, "We'll be long gone from here, and no one will know where to find them."

"Ivan," she said sternly, her navy eyes piercing, "It's not worth it."

"Don't worry-"

"Don't tell me not to worry," she retorted quickly.

"Okay!" Hail cut them off, causing the two of them to break away and face her. "Can we discuss this later? First we have to figure out what we're gonna do with the bike." She gestured to the motorcycle still sitting comfortably in the clearing.

"We'll take it back to our base," Ivan said, as if it were obvious.

"Well hate to break it to you, but our base is that way..." She began, gesturing to the western side of the forest and probably far beyond, "Where you want to take these two..." she directed her arms the eastern side now. "totally different direction."

"Thank you, Ms. Obvious. I totally didn't know that." His frustration was clear through the sarcasm, everyone's emotions obviously surfacing.

Yazoo glanced over at Shelke, raising a brow. He might just have found his weakness...

"Clearly, one of us is gonna have to take the bike to the mountains."

"I'm not leaving again," Lyra said, before any suggestions were made. "You already had me running around way too many places last month."

Ivan stared at her flatly. "I was going to have Luke do it."

"I'm not going," the other man informed simply. He rose from his seat by the fire, facing their leader. No one could tell if he was actually looking at the man, with the shades there.

"What?" Ivan exclaimed, surprised. "Why not?"

"I'm not going." He offered no explanation, just pointed to the white-haired woman to Ivan's left. "Send Artemis instead."

"Artemis? Why would I send her? She's mute. How are we supposed to communicate, with little clicking noises over the radio?"

Artemis' response was a swift, blunt kick to the leader's shin. Ivan grabbed his injured limb and stumbled back, letting out a spree of grumbled curses. Artemis seemed to gather some satisfaction, though the smile was only seen in her eyes. She stepped away from Ivan, going to Luke's side and leaning against shoulder.

After regaining his composure (and glaring at Artemis briefly), Ivan faced the group again.

"Why don't we just take the bike with us?" Lyra asked, "There's enough room on the freighter."

Yazoo and Shelke turned from the conversation as Jaika stepped away from the fire, carrying the pot of boiling food and a bag over to them. The young boy sat himself on the grass just to Yazoo's right, setting the hot pot down beside him. A small grin was on his face as he reached into the bag and pulled out a bowl and spoon. Yazoo watched him scoop some of the soup into the bowl, then hold the spoon up to the remnant's mouth.

"Hungry?" he asked.

Yazoo only glared at him.

"Come on, it's good," Jaika said, taking the spoonful in his mouth instead. "Mmmm...good."

Yazoo still only glared at him.

Hail still watched them out of the corner of her eye, wary.

Jaiki reached into the bag once again, this time pulling out a smaller bag full of crackers. He pulled out one of the crumbly wafers and offered that to Yazoo instead.

"There's nothing you could do to make me eat your food," Yazoo informed.

"Why not?" Jaika asked, now eating the cracker. "You'll starve if you don't eat."

He turned away from the boy. Shelke watched Jaika, but he seemed doubtful that she would eat either. He lifted the spoon again, trying once more to change Yazoo's mind. "Come on," he urged."

Yazoo lifted his leg and hit the boy with his knee, using enough force to knock him down. He landed on his back, the bowl of soup spilling.

"Hey!" Hail exclaimed. She approached Yazoo, reaching down and taking his shirt in her fist. She got close to his face, her anger apparent. "Show some appreciation. He was just trying to feed you!"

"It's okay," Jaika was about to say, but was interrupted when Yazoo spat in the woman's face. The boy stared with wide eyes as the blue-haired vixen struck him hard in the mouth. Yazoo's head was thrown to the side, his lip busted and the lightest of smiles on his face. Hail drew back from him, wiping the spit from her face.

"Fine then...starve." She grabbed Jaika by the arm and helped him to his feet, gathering the hot pot and the utensils.

Ivan watched it all, an amused smile on his face. Yazoo felt his eyes on him, but chose to ignore him, instead looking to Shelke. He couldn't tell if she was angry with him or not, but she looked a little unhappy.

"I was hungry," she hissed.

* * *

**A/N: Am I the only one getting a "couple-vibe" from Luke and Artemis? O_o That is so strange...**

**Please review. Give me your thoughts, your comments, your suggestions... ^_^**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: ^_^ For me, the month of May is officialy FFVII month. Anyhoozle, enjoy the short chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Yazoo stumbled as he was pushed inside the small, dark room. He managed to keep his footing, to remain steady and in control. His warden followed in after him for good measure, moving out of the way as Lyra came in after her, Shelke in her hold. The bonds on the girl's legs had been removed so she could walk properly, but that still didn't stop her from being difficult.

Yazoo turned about as Ivan followed last in the room, to make sure his prized possessions were securely set inside. That same arrogant smile was still on his face, as he looked between the two of them, going over in his mind the plans he had for them-whatever those plans were. Yazoo returned his stare, testing his bonds to see if they had become looser by any chance.

Shelke yanked herself out of Lyra's hold, turning to face her with her eyes glowing orange. The blonde took a step back, obviously aware of what her orange glare was a prelude to. She braced herself for another fight as Shelke prepared to attack, despite the fact that her hands were still behind her back.

Before anything could transpire, Ivan stepped between them. He grabbed Shelke by the front of her shirt, pulling her forward and nearly from her feet. "You wanna try something?" he asked, pulling her face near his own.

"Let her go," Yazoo ordered, the first sign of venom on his voice. Ivan looked his direction, and got the full force of Yazoo's antagonizing stare.

The leader of Enfys scoffed, tossing Shelke aside so that she fell to the floor. He stepped closer to the silver-haired man, too close for Yazoo's comfort, but he kept his ground, showing that he would not falter before him. Ivan stood with him eye-to-eye, his green irises locked with his, declaring a challenge as he flexed his fingers.

"Go ahead, kitten," he whispered, "I'm just itching for a battle."

"Ivan..." Lyra drawled out his name, staring at him flatly.

Yazoo smirked, moving to put enough space between them to grant the man's wish. Before he could make a move, Hail went behind Ivan, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back.

"Hey, down boys."

Ivan glared at her, yanking his arm out of her hold.

"We don't need to be scraping either of your remains off the wall. And there's no need for you to go injuring him in the first place," she said firmly, "Why do you think I incapacitated him instead of battling him? He's worth more uninjured."

"Worth more?" Shelke repeated with horror from her place on the floor.

Yazoo suddenly understood, his angered gaze going from Ivan to Hail. The blue-haired woman looked at him briefly, before turning away. He could have sworn he saw something of shame in her eyes .

"You're selling us?" he asked.

"Yes, that is the plan," Ivan confirmed.

"Selling us to whom?" Shelke asked.

"To someone who can make full use of your _feisty_ personalities."

Yazoo's distaste for this group only grew worse. "You should let us go now, before you regret it."

Ivan chuckled, drawing closer to him once again. "That won't be happening."

Yazoo lunged forward, slamming the crown of his head into the man's nose. Ivan stumbled back with a short cry, his hand going to his face. Hail was smiling as he swore, pulling his gloved hand away to see it covered in blood.

"Should'a seen that one coming," the blue-haired woman said under her breath.

Ivan went for Yazoo, swinging his fist angrily. The punch hit nothing but air as Yazoo effortlessly evaded him. He stepped back, but there was little room to move in the small space. Ivan went for him again, this time grabbing him by the front of his shirt. He yanked him forward and slammed his knee into his stomach, causing the remnant to convulse with a small grunt.

He tossed him aside, the remnant falling on top of Shelke.

Ivan smiled with satisfaction, wiping the rest of the blood from his face as he turned and left the room. Lyra and Hail remained only a moment longer, before they also left. The door slid shut behind them, locking the two captives alone in the room.

Shelke sighed in frustration, using her legs to help push Yazoo upright and off of her. "We have to get out of here," she said, speaking what they both knew was true. There was no need for Yazoo to reply. He managed to bring himself to his feet and went to door, looking it over for any controls. There was nothing, and they were shut in completely.

He stepped back and slammed his foot against the door, the force of the action reverberating back through his body. There was no way it would give. Not that easily anyway.

"Vincent will find us," he said in the end, as he moved away from the door again.

"I have no doubt," she replied, "I'm just curious about how long it will take. I have no wish to be anyone's property."

"Neither do I."

The floor beneath them suddenly lurched, causing Yazoo to stumble a bit. He listened carefully and looked around, before realizing what had happened. The freighter they had been brought to was now moving, sailing the waters that separated the continents. The room continued to sway with the waves, so Yazoo decided to go back to floor. He took a seat across from his companion.

"Perhaps there's another way out of this," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You have to have noticed the way these people challenge Ivan. I have the feeling they're not all happy about the way he does things," the remnant explained.

"Maybe. But do you really think they'd be unhappy enough to let us go? None of them actually protested selling us. That woman, who looks the most unhappy of all, was the one who captured us in the first place."

"I know that."

"Besides...people usually don't find themselves in these situations because they want to be. There's probably a reason they're all here, despite the fact that they dislike what they're doing. In order to let us go, they'd have to put aside those reasons. And you have no idea how desperate or powerful those reasons are."

"No, I don't. But I think it's worth a shot."

Shelke shrugged, sitting herself up against the wall. "Maybe. At any rate, it's not like it would make anything any worse."

* * *

**A/N: Please review. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Wee! I'm finally back in the Pitiful groove! *dances dorkily* I feel like there was something I was supposed to say...hmmm...maybe not.**

**Ah well, enjoy the strangeness of this chapter. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of it's characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

Yuffie sat sideways on the half-broken pew, her back rested against the armrest, her legs propped up before her. She laid her shuriken against her lap, and in the warm silence of the abandoned church, she polished her weapon.

Every-so-often, she would glance across the length of the building, just to make sure the remnant was still there. He was sleeping-at least he looked like he was sleeping. More likely he was pretending to do so, and whenever she let her guard down, he would slip away again, go back to Tifa. She wouldn't let that happen again. She'd stay awake till Vincent came back, if she had to.

Vincent. She hadn't heard from him in two days, not since she had called him last. It was the night she had caught Loz and Tifa kissing him. Strangely enough, he had actually answered that time. He wanted to know if Loz was still alright, and wanted to let them know they were still looking. He didn't elaborate about how his search was going, but he was usually vague anyway. Yuffie...she had a lot she needed to tell him. More correctly, she had a lot she needed to tell Cloud. But she couldn't bring herself to call him.

She had tried calling Shelke yesterday. Despite how different the both of them were, they had struck up a friendship in the few years they had known each other. The serene girl was always willing to talk to Yuffie, to let her rant to her heart's content. She would know what to do in this situation. She could tell her if she needed to tell Cloud or not.

But of course, Shelke wasn't answering her phone. So it was all up to Yuffie.

She hadn't even brought herself to talk to Tifa yet. How on earth was she supposed to go about this?

The sudden movement from the end of the church caught her attention, pulling her from her thoughts. Loz was awake, sitting upright. She stared at him suspiciously, but said nothing. For the longest time, he just sat there, till he turned to face her.

He stood and slowly made his way over to her spot, his gaze down cast, his steps heavy in the quiet night. He stopped before her, but still didn't meet her gaze. Yuffie watched him closely, noticing that something about his expression was off.

"What?" she asked.

He lifted his emerald eyes, showing his fear and unease. "Something's wrong," he said.

* * *

Yazoo's eyes snapped open. Even in the darkness, the sudden, small movement caught Shelke's attention. She looked at him, but he didn't move. His eyes were wide with realization and fear. He sat up slowly, his gaze downcast.

"What is it?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the door to their room slid open. A dim streak of light poured inside, haloing Hail as she stood in the doorway, a bag slung over her shoulder and a bottle of water in her hand. She stepped inside and the door closed behind her, the room dark again.

She stared at the two of them for a moment, before going to Yazoo and sitting in front of him. "Time to eat," she announced simply, "And don't refuse the food this time. That's just plain stupid."

"What? Are we worth more if we're fed?" he asked.

"Not exactly," she said with a soft smile, pulling the cap from the water bottle, "But it won't do anyone any good if you die of dehydration. Least of all you." She held the water bottle out to him, but he turned his head away.

"I'm not letting you feed me," he said definitively.

"Doesn't seem like you have much of a choice. I'm not untying you."

"Then I'll die of dehydration."

She let out frustrated sigh, turning her mako eyes toward Shelke. "Is he always like this?"

"I wouldn't know," she replied, "I haven't known him that long."

Yazoo glared at Shelke, wondering why she was even answering her. He was caught off guard when the nozzle of the water bottle was suddenly shoved in his mouth, and Hail forced him to drink. He coughed and sputtered as most of the water just fell out of his mouth. Only a miniscule amount actually got down his throat. The rest felt like it went down his lungs.

She withdrew with her brows raised, her look rather aggravating. "I'm not gonna have you die in here. So you're going to drink, whether you want to or not."

"Why do you care?" he asked while scowling, the water still dripping from his chin.

"Who says I do?" she asked, pulling herself to her feet again. She walked from Yazoo to Shelke, wiping the water bottle off with her sleeve, before offering it to Shelke. The girl took the drink, although she glared at her the entire time. After she had had enough, the woman turned back to Yazoo. She held the water out to him again, and after glaring at her long and hard, he took the drink she offered him.

He drank what was left in it, and she pulled the bottle away, carelessly tossing it to the floor. She sat before him once again, taking the bag and rummaging through it. She pulled out a loaf of bread and tore it into a couple smaller pieces. Yazoo glanced over at Shelke, the girl's gaze asking.

If he was going to try and play on her unhappiness, now was as good a time as any. She only wondered how good the remnant would be at it.

"What are you doing this?" he simply asked.

"What? Feeding you? 'Cause I won't let Jaika near you again," Hail answered, holding some bread up for him.

"No," Shelke answered for him, "He means all of this. Why are you working for Ivan?"

"I am _not_ working for Ivan," she said, forcing a piece of bread in Yazoo's mouth. He chewed it slowly.

"Then why do you put up with him?" Shelke continued.

The blue-haired woman turned to her, smiling some-what.

"Is it for money? We can get you money."

She chuckled suddenly. "Are you trying to bribe me?"

Shelke only shrugged. "Our friends have money. They'd happily pay you for our return. Besides, Yazoo's father is eager to have him back."

Father. Yazoo smiled at the word.

"Really?" she asked, stuffing another bigger piece in Yazoo's mouth. "How sweet."

"Not really," he answered around the wad of bread, "He's scared of me."

She laughed again. "Really?"

"Yes," he said after swallowing.

"That's why I'm here," Shelke said, "I'm supposed to keep an eye on him."

All of this seemed to amuse the woman greatly. She moved from Yazoo and went to Shelke, now offering her some of the bread. She took it a little more eagerly than Yazoo did.

"So you two aren't even friends?"

"Not really," Yazoo answered, resting his head back against the wall.

"Huh..." Hail said with thought, "And here I thought you were lovers."

It was Yazoo's turn to chuckle. He looked over at the two women, meeting Shelke's gaze. "Oh no. She's in love with my father."

Shelke's stare turned deadly. He only smiled as he returned her look. Even though she was completely angry-so much that her eyes looked like they were about to turn orange-she hadn't bothered denying what he said. His smile took on a cocky edge.

"That's creepy," Hail commented.

Shelke didn't bother replying. She just took the last of the food Hail offered her. Their warden rose after that, dusting off her hands before grabbing the bag from the floor. She headed for the door and knocked against it twice, so the person on the outside could let her out.

"Wait," Yazoo said before she left.

She stopped and looked back at him, her eyes questioning.

"You never answered my question. Why are you doing this?"

Hail shrugged, lifting her arms out to her sides. "Because I honestly have nothing else to do, and no place else to go." With that, she left.

Yazoo and Shelke were alone once again, the silence accompanying the darkness. He turned to his silent companion, staring at her flatly. "Oh yes, that was a very desperate and powerful reason."

* * *

**A/N: I have so much fun with Yazoo and Shelke. Maybe it's cuz they don't seem to like each other, but I know they really do. XD**

**And don't worry, peeps. Kadaj is gonna be in the next chapter. **

**So please review. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I woke up rediculously early and had some time to kill, so I figured I'd put this up now. :) The chapter's a bit short, but it didn't seem like putting anything else in it would fit. So, I hope you enjoy. And sorry it took so long for the poor remnant to get back in the story. Dang, that was like...5 chapters ago. Haha...**

**Anyhoo...enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

His head throbbed. He wasn't sure why, but he knew something was wrong about the pain. It wasn't natural, and it didn't foretell of anything pleasant. He was awake, and he wanted to open his eyes, but he feared it would only make the pain that much worse. So he moved, squirming around in the blankets in an attempt to wake himself further, and to get pulled from the half-conscious state he was in.

He forced his eyes open, unsure of what he would see. He was facing the wall, on a bed, tangled in light blue blankets. His hands, resting just before his face on the pillow, were bound.

Struggling against the heaviness in his limbs, he rolled over, taking in his surroundings. It was a room, plain and simple. Besides the bed, there were two tables, a number of different things on top of them.

Kadaj sat up, his head spinning and forcing him to close his eyes again. He groaned softly as he moved out of the covers and out of the bed. Immediately upon standing, he crumbled to the floor, his weak legs giving out beneath him.

What was wrong with him? Why did he hurt so much? And why was he so tired? He felt like laying back down on the bed, despite the fact that he didn't know whose bed it was. He longed to sleep, to forget about his abduction, or whatever this was. All he had to do was lay down, and his fears and worries would get lost in another series of incoherent dreams.

He opened his eyes again, staring down at his stinging arm. There was a bandage over it, and he wondered what had been done to him while he slept.

His stomach sank, growling loudly in the silence, telling of his hunger.

He groaned in anger and frustration. Fighting against his fatigue, he pushed himself back to his feet, moving slowly. He found enough strength to keep himself upright, though he wasn't very steady. He staggered to the closest table, catching himself on it before he fell again. He stared at the simple oak wood, then at the disorderly pile of pictures before him. He gaped at his own face staring back at him, wondering when the picture had been taken, and how he been caught unawares. Clearly, he was in Nibelheim, but he still couldn't figure out when it was taken.

He swept his hand over the pile, revealing the pictures beneath. Yazoo, Loz, Cloud, Vincent...they were all there, in shots candidly taken.

He had a mixture of anger and fear, wondering why they were taken, and what it inevitably meant for all of them.

He looked deeper in the pile, finding the picture of another familiar face: Sephiroth. He kept going, seeing many others of people he didn't recognize-men in soldier uniforms, people in lab coats, people in uniforms he didn't recognize. He stopped when he found a picture of Lucrecia.

He sighed heavily, wondering what all of it was for. He pulled himself along the table, to the only other thing set on it-a book. "Loveless", it said. He scoffed at the coincidence, grabbing it and flipping to the first page.

_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky..._

The sound of the door opening startled him. He looked up and took a step back, as the man Loveless stepped into the room. A soft smile was on his dark lips, a red coat over his shoulders, and a plate in his hands.

"You," Kadaj hissed.

"Good morning," he casually replied, a hint of mockery in his sly voice.

Kadaj took another step back at the man came toward him, circling around the table. He stopped and glanced at the book left open, the tone of his smile changing slightly. He closed the book, before turning his attention back to the remnant. He offered the plate to him.

"Where am I?" Kadaj demanded, ignoring the food.

Loveless didn't answer, only took a step closer. Kadaj backed up, forced to release the table supporting him. His fatigue caused him to stumble, and he fell to the floor again.

"You need to eat," Loveless said, crouching at his side even as Kadaj backed himself away from him. He set the plate down on the floor, "You've been out for three days, you need to eat something."

"Answer my question. Where am I? And what the hell do you want with me?"

"You'll know soon enough," he replied. He stood back to his full height and walked to the other table, absently running his fingers along it.

He pushed himself to an upright position, watching the man leisurely stalk through the room. "Who are you, _Loveless_?"

He chuckled shortly, his mako eyes turning back to him. "I am Genesis."

Kadaj didn't know why, but that name filled him with dread.

"Eat your food," Genesis continued, before he gestured to the bowl of fruit on the other table. "And try the apples. You won't find a better kind."

"You're going to regret this," he called after him, as the man turned for the door. "Once my brothers find me, I'll make you pay!"

Genesis only stopped briefly to smirk at him. The door slid shut once more as he left, leaving the remnant locked inside. He remained on the floor, breathing heavily, angered at everything. His stomach growled once more, the discomfort only adding to the pain racking his muscles.

He reluctantly reached for the plate, knowing there was no sense in ignoring the food. After all, he would need his strength in order to get out of there-wherever there was. And he would find out who this Genesis man was, and why he had to disturb his almost-pleasant life.

* * *

**A/N: Please review. ^_^**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Hey!" Yuffie called loudly, but Loz ignored her. He just kept walking, like she wasn't even there. She picked up her pace, sprinting to where he was. He still didn't look her way, just continued to march forward, his steps determined and unwavering. She moved in front of him, forcing him to look at her. "You can't just leave!"

"I'm not staying here!" he replied, angered.

"Vincent told you not to leave," she argued, stepping out of the way as he nearly plowed over her.

"It's different now. My brother's in trouble."

"How do you know?"

He didn't answer, only stared at her like she should have known the answer. She walked right along side him, her expression angered and exasperated, as they moved through the remains of the old Midgar.

"Besides," he said, "It's not like I'm running away."

"How we know that? Huh? What if this is just some ruse so you can get away from me? Then the three of you meet back up again to try and destroy the world a _third_ time."

"I'm not!" he snapped, more furious than he had ever been with her. He stopped and faced her, his chest heaving with anger and apprehension. "I'm going to find my brothers."

She stared at him long and hard, before crossing her arms and trying to appear dignified. "Well then, in order to make sure you're telling the truth...I'm gonna go with you."

"Fine," he replied simply, turning about and continuing his walking.

"Huh?" she asked, surprised by his lack of protesting. "That's it?"

"Just don't try and stop me."

She watched for a moment, as he got farther and farther away. She was never the type for baby-sitting, she knew that even before Vincent gave her this job. At least if she went with him, she wouldn't have to sit around Midgar anymore, trying to keep him away from Tifa. Putting some distance between the two would probably be good anyway. And maybe that woman would put her head on straight in the meantime.

She sighed, continuing her walk, too. If anything...at least she wouldn't have to tell Vincent she lost the last of his three charges.

* * *

Vincent's phone rang, the noise interrupting the silence in the room. He almost welcomed the noise, which usual annoyed him. After all, they had been waiting in the silence for far too long, and for the first time in thirty years, impatience was starting to get to him. He eagerly pulled the phone from his belt.

He had hoped the number would be from Shelke; he was more than disappointed that it was Yuffie. Normally, he wouldn't have answered her. But ever since putting her in charge of Loz, he answered every time she called.

He glanced at Cloud briefly, the blonde's bored gaze meeting his.

"Yes?" he asked upon answering.

The first thing he heard was Yuffie's labored breathing, followed by, "Hi, Vince."

"Yuffie. What is it?" he asked. She started the conversation casually, but he could tell this was anything but a casual phone call.

"Well...Loz randomly thinks something bad has happened to one of his brothers, so we're leaving Midgar."

"What?" he replied, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah, we're leaving. At least he's letting me go with."

"No, Yuffie. Tell him to stay there Midgar. I don't need to lose track of him, too."

"...Why?" she asked, slightly suspicious, noting the anxiety in his voice.

Vincent paused for a moment. He had wanted to refrain from telling Loz about Kadaj's disappearance, but it looked like already knew. There was no sense in denying it now. "We found Cloud's bike abandoned in Junon. We're not sure, but it looks like someone took him."

"Like...kidnapped him? But why?"

"We don't know. But we're going to find out. Now tell Loz to stay put, we don't know what's going on here. I don't need him disappearing next. I already can't get ahold of Shelke, and it's beginning to worry me."

The ninja paused on the other end, before continuing. "He won't listen to me, Vince."

The door to the room he and Cloud were in opened, capturing his attention for the moment. They were met by the sight of a familiar man in a suit with long black hair. He looked at them both seriously, commanding respect and authority, even with just the two of them. Tseng greeted them with a simple nod of his head.

"I have to go, Yuffie," he said to her, "I'll call you back as soon as I can."

"But-" He hung up the phone before he could hear what she was going to say. He replaced it in his holder, turning his attention to the Turk.

"Took you long enough," Cloud commented.

"I apologize," the voice of another man came from behind Tseng. The Turk respectfully stepped out of the way, making room for Rufus Shinra as he came inside. The president was dressed as usual, a hint of a patronizing smile on his face.

He made his way over to the pair of couches on the far side of the room, gesturing for his two guests to sit as he got comfortable. The two of them quickly complied, though Vincent didn't have the patience for pleasantries at the moment.

"We've been seeing a lot of each other lately, Vincent," the president commented, smiling softly.

"Yes, we have," he replied dryly.

"So what can I help you with? Tseng tells me it's urgent."

Vincent glanced briefly at his companion, before preparing himself to answer. He wasn't very keen on revealing the remnants' absence to Shinra, especially after he had been so adamant about keeping them locked up. However, he pushed down his pride, knowing they had to get to the bottom of this. "Kadaj has gone missing."

"Has he?" Rufus didn't seem very surprised.

"Yes. He was initially searching for Yazoo, after he ran away."

He could tell the president was holding back a chuckle, and was amazed he found it amusing.

"We traced him to Junon," Cloud continued for him, "But it seems someone has abducted him."

The president's eyes went serious, his gaze flashing to Tseng briefly.

"A friend of mine says he was last seen with a man from SOLDIER," Vincent said.

"SOLDIER?" Rufus looked genuinely surprised, "You should know we no longer employ SOLDIERs."

"We're not accusing you of anything. We just came here for some information," Vincent replied. "The SOLDIER's name was Loveless. Do you know anything about him?"

"Loveless?" he repeated, looking back at Tseng, "I don't recall anyone with that name, but I can have Tseng check our files."

The Turk looked at them seriously, something about his gaze seeming off. "His name was Loveless? Do you have a description?"

Cloud shrugged, "He said he had Mako eyes, red hair...somewhere in his thirties."

The president looked at the Turk, noticing the look of confusion that came to his face. "Tseng?"

"If I may, sir?"

Rufus nodded.

"The Genesis War."

"What was that?" Vincent inquired. Genesis. That name sounded familiar to him, for reasons he couldn't pinpoint.

"Not long before Sephiroth's rampage in Nibelheim, a soldier by the name of Genesis Rhapsodos deserted the SOLDIER ranks and led a small rebellion against us. He sought revenge against the company-and the world-because of the deception surrounding his origins."

Vincent's attention shifted from the Turk back to Rufus, his suspicions growing.

"It was my duty to help bring an end to the rebellion. I worked closely with the 1st Class SOLDIERs, many of whom were involved in the conspiracies surrounding Genesis. Sephiroth was one of them. The two of them were close friends, along with another soldier by the name of Angeal."

"I don't understand," Cloud chimed in, "What does this have to do with our problem?"

"Genesis was a product of one of the many experiments done on Jenova. The processes that made him were flawed, and in the end, he started to degrade. He needed Sephiroth's cells to keep himself from dying."

"Genesis," Vincent spoke aloud, with a sudden realization, "His name was mentioned in the documents I was investigating with the WRO. He was responsible for Deepground, wasn't he?"

Rufus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Many facts from that whole situation are still a mystery. We don't know the exact truth, but yes, it is believed Genesis played a part in their creation."

"But what reason would he need Kadaj for?" Cloud asked, "Is he still degrading?"

"We don't know. He disappeared many years ago. We assumed he was dead, but with the revelation on Deepground, it seems we were wrong," Tseng said.

Vincent took a moment to think. "If Genesis' goal was to destroy the world before, he could still be trying to fulfill that goal."

"And no one got closer to that goal then Sephiroth," Cloud added bitterly.

Rufus sighed heavily, glancing at his troubled Turk. He placed his hands together, resting his chin on his knuckles. "We could have a problem then."

"Do you still have information on Genesis?" Cloud asked, "Any idea where we might be able to find him?"

Rufus nodded, "Tseng will look into it."

On that note, the Turk turned and left the room. Cloud and Vincent watched him leave, silence encompassing the room for moment. Vincent's fear only grew, his apprehension bringing on thoughts and scenarios he hadn't considered before. It seemed the situation just kept getting worse.

"You say Yazoo is also missing?" Rufus asked, breaking the silence with the sudden subject. He reached for the nearby end table, taking the bottle of liquor and pouring himself a glass.

"Yes," Vincent replied, "I lost contact with his companion a few days ago."

"You don't have to worry about that any longer," Rufus commented, staring intently at his drink, "We know where they are."

* * *

**A/N: At first, I didn't really like this chapter, but when proofreading it, I realized it wasn't so bad. :P I was really dreading that conversation about Genesis. Hopefully I got it all right. And I just had to get Loz out of Midgar. -_-**

**Thanks to everyone who reads and favorites this story, and especially to those who review. You make me smile. ^_^**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: ****In case anybody is curious, the word "Enfys" means rainbow in Welsh. It's sort of a joke. When I first read all the descriptions for the OC's, I just kinda skimmed over them. The first thing I saw was a bunch of colors, from the hair and eyes and everything. So I started referring to them as the "Rainbow Clan" in my notes. lol**

**So alas, this will be the last chapter with the funny group of OCs. But I enjoyed writing about them so much, so don't be surprised if they randomly pop up in the story again. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Yazoo was pushed to the ground roughly, with his back once again against a tree in front of a campfire. Shelke was deposited next two him, both under the watchful eye of Lyra while Yazoo's warden went back to the ship to retrieve something else. The rest of the group of bandits moved back and forth hurriedly, only a few words exchanged between them as they went about their business.

The remnant endeavored to sit comfortably, but it was impossible. Shelke, who looked exhausted and annoyed beyond words, rested herself partially against him, since the tree wasn't enough to support two. Normally, he would have pushed her off, but right now he was more annoyed by other things.

Ivan entered the camp upon Yazoo's bike, parking it nearby and examining it for a moment, satisfaction and pride in his eyes.

Yazoo glared at him, continuing to fiddle with his bonds, wondering if they would ever break.

"So how long?" Luke asked as he walked back to the camp, standing before their leader.

Ivan shrugged, looking off into the distance. "Not sure. He didn't say, but it shouldn't be too long."

Yazoo didn't want to know who "he" was.

"I really think we should have stuck with our original customer," Hail commented as she joined the circle, rotating her torso as she stretched. "How do we know we can trust this guy?"

"All relationships start somewhere," the black-haired male replied.

"But what if he tells the authorities about our little operation here?"

"Why would he? He's the one buying them after all, he'd be just as much at fault."

"We don't even know what he plans to do with them," Luke added.

"Why should we care?" Ivan turned away, as if the conversation were finished. Hail glanced sideways at Luke, meeting his gaze beneath his glasses, both obviously displeased.

Jaika came running into the camp, a large pot in his hands which he carried carefully, despite the fact that he looked like he was about to trip from moving so fast. Artemis followed solemnly behind him, her signature weapon still held in her hands.

"Food's ready!" the boy chimed, setting the large pot down.

"Great, I'm starved." Ivan approached the boy first and began to help himself to the food. The rest of them remained at a distance, Hail and Luke still looking troubled. The blue-haired woman's eyes were now on their two captives, as she contemplated something. Luke glided past her to Artemis, where he whispered something inaudible in her ear. Lyra watched everyone silently.

The noise of approaching footsteps in the underbrush made everyone alert. Ivan rose from his place by the food, the rest of the group, except for Lyra, gathering together to face their visitor. Jaika ran behind Hail and Artemis, using their bodies to hide himself, while still able to see between them.

Their guest appeared from between the trees, brushing the thistles from his suit jacket. The flames of the fire reflected off his red hair, illuminating it strangely in the twilight.

Yazoo groaned in annoyance, hitting his head back against the tree trunk, while Shelke just stared at the new-comer in shock.

"You Reno?" Ivan asked.

"Yep, that's me," the Turk replied. He lifted his blue eyes, looking to the group at first, before looking to Yazoo and Shelke. A mocking smile came to his face when he saw the two captives. "Hello, Yazoo. Shelke, is it?"

Enfys grew disturbed, most of them exchanging curious glances, while Ivan became immediately distrustful. "You know them?" he demanded.

"Oh yeah."

The leader crossed his arms, taking a threatening step closer to him. "You failed to mention that when you contacted me. I wouldn't have made the deal if I knew they were your friends."

"Friends?" Reno laughed shortly, "No, not my friends. But my boss has an interest in these two, and he can't exactly have them being sold to random criminal organizations."

"And who is your boss?"

"Shinra," Hail answered before Reno could. She took a step closer to Ivan, standing at his side while she scrutinized Reno. "This man's a Turk!"

The rest of the group formed a half-circle with Ivan in the center, nearly surrounding Reno. Hail and Luke quickly drew their blades, while Artemis readied her scythe and Lyra prepared for combat. Jaika cautiously backed away from the rest of the members, while Ivan remained perfectly composed, his arms crossed.

"Hey now, no reason to get violent," Reno replied, lifting his hands, his rod hanging unthreatening off his wrist. "My boss still intends to pay you. I don't see why..."

Yazoo took advantage of the attention the group was giving Reno. He and Shelke exchanged quick glances, before he pulled himself away from the tree, rolling over to pull his bound hands underneath himself and over his legs. Shelke did likewise, and though their hands weren't free, they now had more mobility with their hands in front.

"Hey!" Jaika exclaimed, catching the attention of the others and pointing to the two captives.

Every member turned about at once, looking to Yazoo and Shelke as they stood on their feet. Ivan had to issue no orders. Hail and Lyra immediately went to detain them.

Reno jerked his hand sharply, the rod flying up into his grasp. Ivan turned back to him just in time to see the metal heading for his face. The Turk struck him bluntly in the temple, knocking him to the ground. Before any of the others had time to respond, he slammed his foot into Luke, knocking the man back and into Jaika. Artemis swerved out of the way of his next strike, then lifted her weapon and advanced on him.

Yazoo jumped forward and spun around, kicking Hail powerfully in the side. She had just enough time to block the blow with her arm, but the force of it still sent her stumbling. Shelke quickly dodged Lyra as the blonde attempted to grab her. Her eyes quickly glowed orange, as she advanced on the woman kicking and swinging despite her bonds.

Luke rose back to his feet, offering a quick apology to Jaika before he charged the Turk. He lifted his red blade high and swiped at him, cutting air as Reno evaded him. Artemis similarly charged, the two of them working together to try and over-power the Turk. But Reno was fast, and avoided them both with a cocky smile on his lips.

Yazoo advanced on Lyra, bluntly kicking her in the side of the head while she was preoccupied with Shelke. She fell heavily to the forest floor and didn't rise again. He spun around to face Hail, swerving to avoid the swipe to his shoulder. He ducked low and came at her from underneath, his speed catching her by surprise as he grabbed her by the wrist.

He met eyes with her, a quick smile flashing on his face as a blue light appeared in his left arm. The illuminated orb grew in intensity, Hail's eyes going wide before a sudden bolt of energy burst from Yazoo's arm. It traveled into her body, shocking her briefly as the force of the power threw her backward. She was left incapacitated, leaving Yazoo and Shelke to turn their attention to the rest.

Reno blocked Luke's strike with his rod, the metal of both their weapons ringing out noisily in the clearing. Artemis took a long swipe at the Turk, before turning to face Shelke and Yazoo, who charged her at once. Using the backend of her weapon, she struck Shelke in the shin, and with a quick shift in the weapon, took a swipe for Yazoo's head. The remnant took on step back to evade, before he leapt in the air, flipping over her. He landed against a tree, perpendicular to its trunk, then pushed off and sent himself zooming toward her. He slammed into her from behind, sending her tumbling to the ground, where she crashed heavily into a tree.

Ivan groggily pulled himself to his feet, wiping the blood from his temple. He snarled at the three people attacking the last of his fighting comrades.

Reno, Yazoo, and Shelke all advanced on Luke at once. Although the man was a skilled fighter, he couldn't hold off the three of them for long.

Ivan leapt from the ground, springing himself on Yazoo before the remnant had a chance to counter. He attacked him from behind, wrapping his muscled arms around remnant's neck. He held him tightly, beginning to strangle him as he pulled him back from the battle.

Shelke spun to face them, ready to offer her companion assistance.

But there was no need. Yazoo used the strength of Ivan's grip against him, and with one quick motion, flung the man over his back. Enfys' leader crashed heavily to the ground, given no time to rise again as Yazoo bore down on him, his hands entrapping his throat.

Reno took another one of Luke's blows on his weapon, the shaded man pulling back to charge again. Only he was distracted by the predicament his leader was in. Shelke took advantage of his distraction, and landed a blow powerfully on the side of his head. The fighter stumbled, but did not fall. Another whack in the head from Reno's rod made sure that he did.

Luke was an unconscious heap on the forest floor, accompanied by three other unconscious heaps. Jaika had drawn back to the edge of the clearing, watching the whole ordeal in fear. He cowered as far away as he could from the three, without abandoning his companions.

"Yazoo," Shelke said his name.

The remnant ignored her. He kept his gaze solely fixed on Ivan, watching him squirm and struggle as he was denied air. Yazoo watched in satisfaction as his face turned purple, his eyes going hazy as unconsciousness was near.

"Yazoo!" Shelke called again. "Stop it!"

He did not listen to her. He continued to hold on, his grip growing even tighter, as sinister smile flickering in his eyes, as Ivan weakly - and futilely - tried prying off his hands.

"Yazoo!" She was suddenly on him, grabbing him from behind and yanking him off the leader. Yazoo fell back on the ground as Ivan coughed and gasped for air.

The remnant's fierce gaze turned to Shelke. "What?" he demanded.

"You were going to kill him!"

"So? It's no more than he deserves."

The girl looked troubled, and a little shocked. "I thought..."

"What?" he asked, rising to his feet and taking a step closer to her. He now ignored Ivan, as he rolled around on the ground, still gasping and sputtering. "You thought I was different than that? You thought that since I've denounced who I am that I've suddenly changed?"

"I thought you had stopped killing."

"I've stopped following Jenova's will, but that doesn't change who I am. I'm still a killer."

"Hey!" Reno shouted, grabbing their attention. They turned just as Ivan pulled himself onto the bike. Yazoo and Reno both went to intercept him, but it was too late. He already started the engine, and within a second, the bike was speeding through the forest. Ivan left behind the Turk, the remnant, and his companion, along with all the other members of his group.

Yazoo scowled in anger. Now what were they going to do, with no transportation?

"Vincent would be disappointed in you," Shelke pointed out factually, continuing the conversation they hadn't ended. He faced her again, annoyed. "We are killers, Yazoo. It's in our blood. But to give into the desire to kill makes any denunciation of yours meaningless."

With that, she turned away from him, giving him no chance to reply. She made her way over Lyra on the ground and shifted through her pockets, producing a ring of keys. She quickly worked on her cuffs and removed them, tossing them, along with the keys, to the ground. Without speaking, she wove her way through the trees, leaving Yazoo and Reno behind.

Yazoo sighed as he went over to the keys and undid his own bonds, the Turk following a step behind him, still studying the aftermath of their fight. Jaika was now at Hail's side, the woman groaning in pain as she started to wake.

Having cast aside his bonds, Yazoo took one last look at Reno, before following Shelke's path through the forest. With unspoken consent, Reno followed behind him.

* * *

**A/N: Please review. ^_^**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Boy, I've been busy lately. Between baby sitting, selling on eBay, and trying to finish this werewolf book I'm writing...But don't worry, next chapter will be up sooner. ^_^**

**Hope you enjoy. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

As it turned out, Enfys had taken them just outside the town of Gongaga. It wasn't hard to find the town, even in the dark hours of night. Yazoo and Reno had followed Shelke's lead all the way there, although the young woman stayed a good distance ahead of them the entire time, and did not turn to look back at them once. Yazoo and Reno were silent as they traveled together, as if no one was quite sure they wanted to break the tension in the air.

It was around 3 o'clock in the morning when they arrived at the small farm town. Shelke disappeared before Yazoo and Reno could follow her further, and the remnant and the Turk found the nearest inn. Yazoo was more than relieved that there was also a bar attached to the complex.

The two of them entered the noisy building, making their way to the counter.

"Let me buy you a drink," Reno offered.

Yazoo stared at him strangely, as he flagged down the bartender. "Alright," he replied, "but I should warn you, the last man who tried buying me a drink ended up unconscious."

The Turk chuckled at the simple, flat way the remnant spoke. "I'll keep that in mind."

He ordered them each a mug of beer, then the two of them retreated through the noisy, smoke-filled area to a table in the back.

"I'm curious," Yazoo said, watching the Turk take a big gulp. "How did you find us?"

"Find you? I've been following you for weeks."

"Really?" he raised a thin brow, taking his first drink. He was surprised, he hadn't noticed the Turk the entire time. And he was usually very perceptive about such things.

"And you knew we'd been captured? Why didn't you help us sooner?"

Reno chuckled again, "Hey, it wasn't up to me. I had to wait for orders."

Yazoo seethed in silence, deciding he hated Rufus Shinra more and more each day. He hadn't had a pleasant time while is his custody those many months ago, and the amount of time he allowed them to stay in Enfys' clutches didn't help his standing.

The remnant drank heavily from his glass, nearly downing the entire thing in one gulp. Reno watched him, amused.

"Would you like another one?" the Turk asked. The remnant stared at him blankly while letting the beer settle in his stomach.

"Yes."

* * *

Kadaj walked along the length of the table, scrutinizing it with his gaze. He listened to the silence in the room, wondering how long it had been since he had last seen his captor. At least two hours, he guessed, but it was hard to keep track of time, especially when he had spent half his waking hours trying to overcome the affects of the drugs. Luckily, they were now out of his system. He could move properly and think more clearly. Unfortunately, he still couldn't find a way out of this place.

He looked to the featureless door, then back to the table again. With a frustrated sigh, he threw all the pictures to the floor, scattering them carelessly in a mess. He took the copy of Loveless and tossed it to the other table, not caring what he knocked over in the process. He then hefted the table, and turned it over on its side. He grabbed one of the legs, bracing his foot against the rest of the table as he snapped it off.

It broke off nearly cleanly, and he tested the weight of the makeshift weapon in his hands. It was better than nothing.

As if on queue, Kadaj heard footsteps outside the room. He quickly dashed to the door, pressing himself against the wall beside it, lifting his weapon. The door slid open, and the moment Genesis entered the room, Kadaj swung his weapon. It smashed hard into the man's head, splintering to a millions pieces upon contact.

The ex-SOLDIER fell heavily to the floor, the vial he held shattering, wasting whatever it was it contained.

Kadaj wasted no time. He tossed aside what was left of the table leg and stepped over Genesis' groaning form. He dashed down the hallway, eager to get as far away from the man as possible. He had no idea where he was or where he would be once he got out, but he didn't care about that. He just had to get out of there.

He came to the end of the long, dimly lit hallway and was faced with a short flight of stairs. He ascended them quickly, shocked to find himself now in a cavern. He paused for a short second, staring in wonder at the meandering passageways and levels. He grew more unsettled at his own ignorance of his surroundings, but kept moving, taking the nearest passageway and climbing the slope to the second level. He found himself standing on the edge of a small cliff, over-looking the stairs he had just left.

He took a second to take in his surroundings again. The softly glowing crystals in the walls and floor illuminated the rock in every direction, showing just how large this place was.

Where was he?

He had no time to continue wondering. He turned back to continue his trek to the surface, only to find Genesis standing before him, his captor recovered and uninjured.

He moved quickly, before Kadaj could even react. He kicked him hard and fast, hitting him in the chest, sending him flying over the edge of the cliff. The remnant landed harshly on his back, the pain reverberating up his spine as the breath was knocked from his lungs. He groaned as he rolled over, taking a moment to recover.

Genesis leapt from the cliff, effortlessly soaring through the air and landing before him on his feet. Kadaj shot him a glare, before attempting to kick his feet out from under him. The man swerved out of the way, leaving Kadaj to roll himself to his feet. The remnant faced him unafraid, ready to fight him despite the fact that his hands were bound.

He charged the mako-eyed soldier, swinging both fists at him at once, missing as the man backed up, a smirk on his face. He tossed his next blow aside, before taking a shot at him. His fist hit Kadaj in the jaw, sending him stumbling back.

Howling in anger, Kadaj advanced on him again, swinging his leg around. Genesis ducked to avoid the blow for his head, then rose just in stop another punch from the boy.

Kadaj flipped backward, clipping the man under the chin as he revolved. The moment he was back on his feet, he charged him again, flipping over his head before he had a chance to recover. He kicked him in the back, sending his captor stumbling forward. He continued to advance, relentlessly kicking him, landing blows half the time.

Genesis turned about to face him, grabbing his foot and stopping it midair. He flashed a smile, before twisting his foot around, sending the boy spiraling to the floor.

The remnant rolled out of the way as Genesis attacked, his fist punching the ground where he once laid. He rolled back, ramming his elbow into the ex-SOLDIER's head. While he was stunned, Kadaj threw his legs forward, using the momentum to propel himself to his feet. Genesis rose back to his full height, facing Kadaj as the remnant swung both fists at him again.

He grabbed Kadaj by his bonds, stopping his next move abruptly. Kadaj pulled against him angrily, but couldn't break free as Genesis pulled him forward, slamming his knee into his gut. Kadaj convulsed, before Genesis threw him to the ground, leaving Kadaj to wallow in his pain before pulling himself back to his feet.

The remnant threw himself against him, the force of the attack knocking them both to the ground. He slammed both his fists into the soldiers head, but was thrown back when Genesis struck him in the chin. He threw the teen to the floor, the remnant turning to face him just as he bore down on him.

Genesis pinned him to the ground, holding his thrashing arms in place as he sat on his legs. The remnant cried out in frustration, struggling as best he could to get out from beneath him. Genesis remained calm, that smirk still on his face as he reached into his jacket, pulling out a syringe. Kadaj's eyes widened in fear.

"Get off me!" he yelled, thrashing about. Genesis kept him firmly in place as he lowered the syringe to his arm. "No!" He jammed the needle into his skin, pumping the fluid into his veins.

Kadaj screamed in anger, yanking his arm to the side, jarring the syringe and causing the needle to break. Genesis withdrew his hand, but it was too late. The drugs were already in his system.

Genesis grabbed both his arms firmly, pressing them to his chest and keeping him still. The remnant whined as he immediately felt the sedative taking control, dulling his mind and freezing his limbs. The cavern around him was growing darker, his thoughts and his fears dissipating. He blinked lazily, staring up at his captor's bright eyes, at his no longer smiling face.

He removed his hold from his arms, but it did Kadaj little good. He could no longer move. Incoherent words escaped his lips as his head lolled to the side, sleep coming to claim him.

He was vaguely aware of the hand on his head, of the fingers tenderly stroking his hair.

"Don't worry, my friend," he heard the words, like distant echoes, "I will redeem you."

* * *

**A/N: Mwahahahahahaha!**

***clears throat* Reviews are always appreciated. ^_^**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Um...I don't know what to say. :/**

**Enjoy! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Yazoo lazily opened his eyes, the world around him unfocused. There was a dull throb in his head, brought on by the previous night of drinking, which he couldn't even remember. He closed his eyes for a brief second, taking in a deep breath before trying again. When he looked this time, the room was a bit more clear. He could make out the walls and the floor, the table across from him, and Shelke sitting at the chair, staring at him, expressionless.

He blinked a few more times, wondering why she was just staring at him.

"I find this disturbing," she simply said.

"Huh?"

He noticed her staring beyond him and turned over, freezing when he rolled into another body. He looked down at Reno, the Turk sprawled on the bed beside him, his face half buried in the pillow, sleeping heavily.

Yazoo sighed in frustration as he sat up, ignoring his painful headache. He kicked Reno in the leg, hard, jarring him from his slumber. The red-head awoke with a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Yah!" he exclaimed suddenly, sitting up and pulling as far away from the remnant as possible. Yazoo stared at him flatly as he grumbled in pain, holding his head.

Yazoo looked himself over, making sure his clothes were still intact and nothing innappropriate had happened. As far as he knew, everything was in order.

Shelke said nothing more. She remained in her chair, watching the two of them groan and wince in pain, taking a moment to fully awaken. She wouldn't let it show, but Yazoo knew she was amused.

"Where were you last night?" he asked his companion.

"Around. I bartered for a room for us, but didn't realize you and this Turk already decided to get one," she replied with a smirk.

He glared at her as he swung his legs over the bed, smoothing out his already smooth hair.

A phone rang somewhere in the room, the tone muffled and particularly annoying to the remnant that morning. He glanced back at the Turk as he tore the covers off the bed in an attempt to find the phone. It had somehow ended up under Yazoo's pillow.

"Reno," he said as he answered the call, still looking like he was half asleep, "Yeah, he's here."

Yazoo was surprised when he held the phone out to him. "It's for you."

He skeptically took it from him and placed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yazoo?" Vincent's familiar voice came over the other end, "Where are you?"

"Gongaga," he answered.

"Is Shelke there with you?"

"Yes."

"Are you both safe?"

"Yes."

Yazoo could tell the man was relieved, even though he didn't let on, and didn't say anything else for a few seconds. "Kadaj is missing," he bluntly informed.

"I know," Yazoo replied.

"You do?" Vincent didn't sound very surprised.

"Of course I do."

"Well, Rufus Shinra gave us some information that might be helpful. We have reason to believe the person who took Kadaj may be keeping him in Banora."

"Banora? Where's that?" he asked.

"You're not too far from it, actually. Or at least, not too far from where it used to be. The town was destroyed a few years ago during one of Shinra's wars."

"I see," he said simply.

"Cloud and I are on our way there. We'll rendezvous with you at Gongaga, understand? I don't want you going after Kadaj on your own. We don't know what we may be up against. Loz is also on his way there. I think it's best if we approach this together...alright?"

"Alright," Yazoo agreed without hesitance.

Vincent was silent on the other end, as if he didn't quite believe him.

"We'll be there tomorrow. Don't do anything foolish in the meantime."

"Yes, Vincent," he replied monotonously, again without hesitance. It was almost mocking.

"Yazoo..." he warned.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Vincent," he said, before abruptly hanging up. He tossed the phone back to Reno before pulling himself out of bed, his hangover forgotten. He turned to Reno. "I need a weapon. Do you have any money I could borrow?"

"Weapon? For what?" Shelke asked.

"Kadaj has been kidnapped, I'm going after him."

"Wait," Reno said, "Vincent and Cloud are gonna meet us tomorrow. Didn't he tell you to stay here?"

"If you don't have money, I'll just have to steal one," Yazoo said, ignoring his statement.

"Yazoo," Shelke said, a note of frustration in her voice, "You need to listen to Vincent."

"Someone is holding my brother captive. Do you think I'm just going to sit here while he does whatever he wants with him?"

She paused for a moment, "We don't know anything. It's safer if we wait."

"It's safer for us, not Kadaj. I'm not waiting," he replied, facing her, ready for her to challenge him, "You can stay here and wait for Vincent if you want. I don't need you...either of you."

Shelke shook her head in disbelief, looking off at nothing.

"Well, I'm going with you," Reno announced as he pulled himself out of bed, stretching, "Whether I like it or not, I have orders to follow your ass around."

"Great," he commented dryly.

"This could be a trap," she advised.

"I don't care. He's my brother, I'm going after him...He did the same for me."

Shelke let those words settle the argument. She didn't bother trying to convince him anymore, knowing it was pointless. With a sigh, she stood to her feet, pulling out a bundle from beneath her chair. Yazoo stared in surprise as the weapons she held, a fire arm for Yazoo and pair of electro-magnetic sabers for herself, complete with leather holsters. She them up to dangle before the remnant.

"No need to go stealing from honest people now."

Yazoo smirked while taking the weapon she offered. "Thank you," he said.

"Barter for those, too?" Reno wondered.

"Yes," she said.

"What exactly did you offer?"

"Information about a certain group of people who have been stealing from the local merchants."

Yazoo chuckled softly.

"Come on then," she said, making her way to the door and opening it for them, "Your brother's waiting."

* * *

**A/N: Everyone's questions will be answered in the next chapter. At least...I think it's the next chapter. *thinks for a moment* Yeah, that sounds right. Haha!**

**At any rate, please review. ^_^**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Tomorrow with be exactly a year since I started posting "Pity". lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Yazoo, Shelke, and Reno made their way through the narrow ravine, casting glances left and right, looking for any sign of danger in the forsaken area. There appeared to be none, just as there appeared to be no one around, but none of them could shake the feeling that they were walking into danger.

They had traveled for hours, leaving Gongaga behind and traveling in an unknown direction, using Yazoo's built in sense of direction, and Reno's general knowledge of the area. They allowed Yazoo's awareness of Kadaj to lead them through the wilderness, to the place where Banora was supposed to be. Reno mentioned he had visited the town several years ago, but it had been a while, and the landscape had changed a lot since then. The roads were now grown over.

It was a couple hours after noon, the sun following their direction as it began its descent that would eventually lead to night.

"So both of you knew Kadaj was missing all this time?" Shelke asked, trying to start a conversation, since they had abandoned talking long ago. She took a step closer to Yazoo, catching his gaze and he glanced back at her.

"I realized he was in trouble when we were back on that freight," he answered.

"I was informed yesterday morning," Reno said.

"Yet you both still decided to get drunk, when you knew all this was going on? That wasn't very wise."

"Drinking is never wise, Shelke," Yazoo commented flatly.

"It's fun," Reno concluded with a shrug.

"Drinking isn't fun, it's..." The girl paused when they came to the end of the ravine, the rock walls giving way to the split land before them. The three of them stared in wonder at the florescent mako radiating beneath the surface, casting is ethereal glow over what was left of the town's structures. The plants thrived around the pure stream if life, adding a peaceful touch to what was an unsettling scene.

A great among of destruction caused this. Just one more of Shinra's many disasters.

Reno was the first to step forward, gazing down the crevasse before them, into the depths below. Yazoo slowly made his way around him, walking along the length of the crack. He continued further, to where the center of the town used to be, where a particularly large hole in the ground was. His two companion stepped to his side, all three of them gazing down at the hole.

"Should we go down there?" Reno asked, looking reluctant.

"Not yet," Yazoo replied.

Shelke raised a brow. "What are we waiting for?"

Yazoo lifted his arm and pointed out into the distance. Both his companions looked to the indicated direction, spotting two figures heading their direction. At first glance, Shelke couldn't decipher who they were. But if Yazoo could tell their identities, even from this distance, it meant one thing.

Loz, followed by Yuffie.

* * *

Kadaj slowly opened his eyes. He immediately regretted waking, wishing he could remain in his dream. Anything was better than facing the fact that he was still a captive. With a heavy sigh, he turned over to see where exactly he was.

It was a different room than the last one, perfectly symmetrical with nothing but the bed. Even stranger, the door wasn't even closed.

Pushing passed his fatigue, he sat up, pulling himself out from beneath the blankets before standing. He wobbled a bit, but was steadier than the last time. Maybe he was used to the drugs now, or maybe he had just slept longer.

Cautiously, he approached the open, placing his bound hands against the wall as he carefully looked out. His room was adjacent to another, larger room, one that wasn't nearly as empty. Tables and equipment were everywhere, computers and machines alive with sounds and lights. It was some sort of laboratory, no doubt set up to feed his captor's fascination with-whatever his reasons were for having him here.

He was captivated by a tank at the far end of the room. It was filled with water, or some other such fluid, and contained a young, white-haired man. He recognized him from one of the pictures from before, but either than that, the man was a mystery. No doubt, they were connected somehow. Otherwise, why would Genesis have them both?

"Did you sleep well?" Genesis asked.

Kadaj ignored him, knowing he had been sitting in the corner the entire time but refusing to acknowledge him. In stead, he stared at the tank, wondering if he would share a similar fate-if he would be locked in a tank for experimentation.

Genesis closed the book he read with a snap. He rose to his feet, finally getting Kadaj's attention as he approached him. The remnant drew away from him, even though there was really no place to go, besides the bedroom. Genesis grabbed him by the arm, his grip firm but not harsh. He pulled him back into the lab, leading him to the chair he previously occupied. Kadaj decided not to fight as he pushed him down on it.

He relinquished his hold afterward, turning to one of the tables. "His name is Weiss," Genesis said, gesturing to the suspended man.

Kadaj swallowed nervously, watching his back as he prepared something unseen. "Who is he?" he asked.

"I told you. He is Weiss."

"But why is he also here?" he asked, his voice shaking with uncertainty.

Genesis turned back to him, a glass of something in his hand. "Because if he wasn't here, he'd be dead. He's barely alive as it is."

"What did you do to him?"

"I saved him," he answered, smiling smoothly as he held the glass out to him.

Kadaj stared at it in disgust. "Do you really think I'm going to drink that?"

His captor seemed amused. He withdrew the glass, bringing it to his own lips and taking a small sip. He swallowed, showing how unaffected he was. He crouched to the remnant and took his bound hands, placing the glass inside. "Please, drink."

Kadaj glared at him, pulling his hands from his and reluctantly drinking. It was apple juice. But it was unlike any apple juice he had ever tasted. Genesis looked greatly pleased, though Kadaj couldn't figure out why. That reason alone made him want to throw the glass down.

"How is it?" Genesis asked.

"What do you want with me?" Kadaj asked, ignoring his question.

The ex-SOLDIER smiled, drawing away from him and leaning against the nearest table. "Do something for me first, then I'll answer your question."

"Do what?" he asked angrily, afraid of what the answer would be.

"Finish the juice."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to."

Snarling angrily, Kadaj brought the glass back to his lips, downing all the juice in one gulp. Genesis looked amused, as the sour-yet-sweet nectar settled in his stomach, temporarily sating his hunger. With a sigh, he lowered the glass.

"How was it?" Genesis asked again.

"It is was fine," the teen answered impatiently.

"Not good?"

"It was good. Are you happy now?"

Genesis' smile dropped, replaced by his displeasure. "Not particularly." He went back to Kadaj, snatching the glass from his hands.

"Now answer my question."

Genesis set the glass down on the wooden table, his back turned to the boy as he looked over his shoulder. "I need you."

"For what?" he pressed, standing from the chair and approaching the man to address him more directly. Genesis met his eyes.

"Several years ago, I was given a gift. A gift from the Goddess, and that gift compels me..."

"To do what?"

He paused briefly, his eyes wandering up and down the boy's form, examining him with a look Kadaj couldn't place. Displeasure, curiosity, pity...

"I was once like you, Kadaj. Jenova's cells are a part of my body, and they nearly destroyed me. I was injured, and they broke me down from within. There was nothing I could do to save myself, not even..." For a moment, anger and regret ghosted across his features.

"Stop dancing around the subject," Kadaj snapped, "Just answer my question."

"I need you because you are Sephiroth," he said bluntly.

"I am not Sephiroth," he replied, his anger taking on a different edge.

"You're different, that much is obvious. But you_ are_ him. Your blood is his."

"My blood is my own."

"Your blood is Jenova's."

"No!" he snapped, taking a threatening step closer to his captor, "This is my body, and this is my life! Neither Sephiroth nor Jenova, nor _you_ will ever control me again!"

Genesis smiled, laughing suddenly, pleased beyond Kadaj's understanding. The remnant took a step back, wondering if the man before him was entirely stable. "I don't seek to control you, Kadaj. It would be meaningless to try."

The remnant liked those words better, though he wasn't sure why Genesis said them.

"I was controlled all my life, from the moment of my birth. My body was used without my knowledge, my life was given to those who didn't even conceive me, who only cared for me because it was their duty. And I was still controlled, through SOLDIER, through the very people who twisted me, through madmen...through Jenova. Through all of it...Jenova."

Kadaj stayed back, staring at him in wonder.

"She is a disease. Her very essence is destruction. If she cannot destroy your body, she will destroy your soul."

"I don't serve Jenova," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"No, you don't." He stepped closer him, reaching out to the remnant with a crazed look in his eyes. Afraid, Kadaj stepped away from him. "That is why I need you Kadaj. You are not Sephiroth. Your life is destined to be so much more. That is why you are here. That is why you live."

Kadaj gasped when his back was suddenly against the wall, Genesis' arms on either side of him, trapping him there. He looked directly at him, a smile in those Mako eyes. "Together," he said, "we will destroy Jenova."

* * *

**A/N: Well, Genesis sure turned out loopy. LOL**

**Please review, give me your thoughts. :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I hate writer's block. -_-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

For a moment, Kadaj wasn't sure what he was hearing. He blinked several times, swallowing against the lump in his throat. He looked directly into Genesis' eyes, looking for something suspicious, something that told of deception. There was nothing. As far as he could tell, the man before him was honest, if not a little insane. The look of glee in his eyes was unsettling.

"I don't understand," Kadaj said, pushing one of his arms aside so he could move out from his trap. Genesis withdrew, his eyes locked on him as the remnant put some space between them.

"I want to purge the planet of Jenova. I need you to do that," he said.

"How?" he asked, skeptical.

Genesis dropped his gaze. "I'll let you know...in due time."

"It's not possible. The planet would have cleansed itself a long time ago if there were a way."

"There is a way," Genesis said, nodding his head, "_You_ are the way."

The remnant shook his head in denial, turning away from him. Unintentionally, his gaze went back to Weiss. He watched the man ebb up and down in the water's unseen current, unaware of what was happening around him.

"You were revived for a reason, Kadaj. You have to know this."

"My mother gave me life again so I could live, so I could know what life held beyond Jenova's grip."

"Your mother?" Genesis wondered, looking completely ignorant.

Kadaj was reluctant to answer, but did anyway. "Aeris."

He tilted his head. "Aeris?" For a moment he pondered the name, then announced, "The Goddess gave you life."

"I don't know who this goddess is," Kadaj replied, "My mother is Aeris, I serve her."

Genesis didn't seem to agree, but he didn't argue with him. He began pacing the lab again, drawing closer to Kadaj. "Whoever it was-the Goddess, or this Aeris-you were brought back for a reason, something much more important than simply living.

"You have the power to right every wrong Sephiroth ever committed in his life. You are different than him, but inside you are the same. Every power he had, you have. The ability to destroy the world, or to save it, is all in your hands."

"I'm not that powerful," the remnant replied, turning back to him, "The only power I ever had was when Sephiroth possessed my body. The power was _his_, not mine. If I try to use it, he will control me."

"No," Genesis replied, "He can't control you here. Haven't you noticed?"

Kadaj's brow furrowed in confusion. For a moment, he wondered what he was talking about him. Then it suddenly hit him. His mind was silent. All the time he had been held captive here, Sephiroth hadn't uttered one word to him. He hadn't realized it before; the distracting thoughts seemed so trivial compared to what he was facing. "How?" he asked, astonished.

A pleased smile crossed the ex-SOLDIER's features. "I also have power, Kadaj. Of course, nothing to compare with your own."

"But if Sephiroth is a part of me, how could you...?"

"I've only blocked him. I can't remove him from you."

Kadaj took a moment to let it all sink in, relieved that he no longer had the imposing consciousness in his mind. If only the rest of his life could be lived like this, with no reminder of who or what he was.

"Don't you see, Kadaj? I did not bring you here to hurt you, or to control you. I need your help. Right now, the world is at peace, but it will only be a matter of time before Jenova or Sephiroth emerges again. Then people will suffer once more, and many lives will be lost. And unlike you, they will not have the luxury of rising again."

Kadaj shook his head, the realization of everything overwhelming. "You don't realize what you're asking of me. You kidnap me and drug me, then come to me and say it was all for the good of the planet, and that you need me. You say you have no intention of hurting me, yet you already have. Why didn't you just come to us and tell us what you wanted, instead of going through all this? How can you really expect me to trust you?"

While he spoke, Genesis drew nearer, so that he was now standing directly before him. "I only need you, Kadaj. The others...they would just be a distraction."

"I can't trust you. How do I know this isn't one big lie? How can I believe that you care for the life of this planet at all?"

"I'll admit...there was one point in my life where I wanted nothing more than to see the planet in ruins. I was dying, and I wanted to take the world with me. But the Goddess changed me, showed me how I could regain my honor. She gave me a true path, one that has taken me many years to follow. And honestly, I care little for the people of this world. Whether they live or die is of little concern to me, however...I know they are important.

"And I pity Sephiroth. I helped him on his spiral to madness. I caused much of this chao. I live now to redeem myself, and Sephiroth. I have to make sure the world never suffers again because of us."

"Sephiroth is evil. How can you pity him?"

"Were _you_ not evil?"

"I was, but I've changed. Sephiroth cannot be changed."

"Perhaps not, but once upon a time, he wasn't evil. He and I were friends, and though I envied him as much as I cared for him, the times we were together mean something to me."

Kadaj scoffed and turned away from him, "You won't get me to feel any sympathy for him."

"You don't need sympathy. You need your hatred and anger for this, Kadaj."

Their conversation paused, and in the silence, Kadaj took in all he told him. Genesis kept his gaze on him, watching him in all his turmoil.

"We may not agree on many things," Genesis said, breaking the silence, "but we have the same goals. That, at least, you can trust."

"I can't trust anything," he said in the end, his voice soft, nothing more than a whisper. He sighed heavily, the weight of everything too much. This had just started out as search for his brother. They were supposed to go home. Sure it was monotonous. Sure it was boring. But they were alive and together. That was all that mattered. Now he was here, even further from his objective than before. And with everything Genesis had just told him, how could his life continue on as before?

He turned back to Genesis just as the ex-SOLDIER took his hands. He watched in surprise as he undid the cuffs that bound his wrists. "I want you to ponder what I've told you. In the end, I know you'll see the truth in my words."

He stepped back from him, and with the way he was speaking, Kadaj got the distinct feeling that he was about to leave.

The door to the lab was thrown open in an instant. Kadaj stared in utter shock as Yazoo came flying into the room, his body rotating mid air as he struck at his captor. Genesis fell to the floor from the sudden blow to his head.

Loz was in the room a second later, his fists balled and ready for a fight. Both remnants looked to Kadaj as their companions entered after them, weapons in hand. Kadaj only marveled that he hadn't sensed them. They were in the very cavern with him and he hadn't known they were there till he saw them. What had Genesis done to him?

His captor was up from the floor before he could even finish his thoughts. Without hesitation, he lunged forward. Yazoo and Loz both ran to meet him, the long-haired brother firing once with his gun, kicking at him again. Genesis effortlessly avoided the bullet, then dove around Yazoo, and Loz's attacking fists. He then flipped over Shelke, Reno, and Yuffie, landing behind them and darting out of the room.

Yazoo and Loz followed him immediately, pushing past their companions. Genesis quickly made his way to a table in the far corner of the room, grabbing the sword laid upon it. He brandished his crimson blade, looking at his opponents with a cool smile on his face.

Yazoo fired again, but the bullets ricocheted off the blade. He ran for Genesis, avoiding the swipe taken for his head by ducking low. He swerved around him, taking a strike for his head, only to have it blocked by the ex-SOLDIER's arm. Loz attacked him from the other side, kicking and punching.

Genesis slammed his foot into Loz's stomach, knocking by back while he simultaneously hooked his blade under Yazoo's firearm. With a quick yank, it was pulled from the remnant's grasp, completely out of reach. Genesis wove around him, grabbing his shirt from behind. With a suddenly heave, he was thrown from the floor, directly into his companions.

Shelke leapt into the air to avoid his falling body, landing directly before Genesis. Her sabers and her eyes glowed in unison, as she struck him fiercely. Her weapons caught on his blade, the color shining vibrantly under the glow from her weapons. Their opponent smiled with glee, a strange spark in his eyes. "You..." he hissed. He cast her weapons aside suddenly, taking the opportunity to grab hold of her.

He jumped out of the way of Loz's attack, pulling her with him, before sending her flying across the room. He ducked low as Yuffie's shuriken went circling over his head. He swiped through the air and his sword caught on the ninja's weapon, knocking it off course. He lifted his arm to block Reno's advance, just as the Turk struck him.

Kadaj slowly walked out of the lab, watching the chaos ensuing.

Genesis' crimson blade sliced the Turk across the stomach. Reno cried out shortly, before he was kicked aside. Yuffie ran for her shuriken to attack again.

Kadaj watched as Genesis ran his hand over his blade, the metal suddenly glowing as runes appeared across its length. He was suddenly on the offensive. With a loud cry, he bore down on Yuffie. His blade clashed with her shuriken, the force of the blow, enhanced by the power in his sword, threw her backward. She crashed heavily to the floor, incapacitated. He next turned his attention to Shelke.

Yazoo pulled himself to his feet and ran to intercept Genesis. The ex-SOLDIER turned to him suddenly, his hand outstretched. Without warning, a burst of fire erupted from his palm. The force of the blast threw Yazoo back.

Kadaj screamed his name in fear, running out of the lab. He stood before Genesis, facing him in anger and uncertainty. The ex-SOLDIER smiled, extending his hand once again.

Kadaj lifted his arms to block the fire he expected to come rushing for him. But it never hit. The only thing that came from Genesis' hand was the faint glow of a materia. The next thing Kadaj knew, he was suddenly very tired.

With heavily limbs, he crashed to the floor, his fatigue over-whelming, his desire to ignore it useless. He wanted to cry out in rage, but his muscles couldn't even move that far. He watched with hazy eyes as the rest of the fighters charged Genesis again. It was the last thing he saw, before the materia's sleep claimed him.

* * *

**A/N: Genesis, you nut!**

**Anyway...this story is finally creeping toward the ending. And I'm glad I finally have an ending planned! :D**

**So yeah...*laughs nervously***

**Please review. Reviews make me smile. ^_^**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

_Kadaj._

The voice seemed so distant, so far away.

_Kadaj, can you here me? Wake up._

He knew that voice, so much different than the usual voice that filled his thoughts. He smiled, wanting nothing more than to draw into that voice. If only it wasn't so far away. If only it understood. If only it knew...

"Kadaj!" The hand on his shoulder woke him with a rough shake. Kadaj woke from his sleep with a start. His first impulse was to panic, after everything that had happened. But the firm grip on his should kept him still, and the familiar blue eyes calmed him immediately.

"Brother?" he gasped, unsure if what he was seeing was real.

Cloud nodded. "Are you alright?" he asked. His expression was determined and stoic, but through it Kadaj could tell he was concerned. The teen smiled in relief, nodding his head as he placed it hand on Cloud's sword arm, just to make sure he was really there. He looked away from him afterward, to his brothers who were in the room with him. Yazoo and Loz were on the floor, both unconscious.

He rose suddenly, fighting off the period of dizziness the quick action brought. He went to their side and shook Yazoo awake. His brother's eyes snapped open, and he looked in wonder at Kadaj, as he also woke Loz.

"Where's Vincent?" Kadaj asked Cloud.

"He's looking for Genesis."

Kadaj was surprised they were aware of what was going on, but didn't ask any questions.

"What about the others? Do you know where they are?" Cloud asked.

"No," he answered honestly.

Yazoo grabbed Kadaj's arm suddenly, making him look back at him. His elder brother's gaze was intense, but he said nothing. He didn't have to. He knew what thoughts were going through his head, and what he felt. Kadaj nodded briefly, before Cloud reached down and helped lift the younger brother to his feet.

"We need to find them," the blonde said.

"What about Genesis?" Yazoo asked, "What are you going to do about him?"

"I'll let Vincent handle that. Right now, all I care about is getting everyone out of here."

"Wait!" Kadaj said, grabbing his arm and keeping him from walking out of the room, "You don't know what's going on here. It's not what you think."

* * *

A brief flash of light filled the cavern, sparks erupting in the air as the heat from the strike grazed his skin. Vincent quickly leapt out of the way, continuing to move as the man before him attacked relentlessly. His blade swung left and right before him, the metal glowing with an intense energy. His eyes shone with an unstable joy, his movements betraying his madness.

Vincent lifted his arm, the blade slamming into the metal of his gauntlet. The force of the strike reverberated up his arm, the metal of his arm bending and hurting him. He quickly ducked low, avoiding the swipe taken for his head. He jumped back, soaring through the air to put some distance between him and his opponent. But Genesis followed him, keeping the space between them minimal, keeping Vincent on the defensive continuously.

He fired Cerberus, the bullets bouncing off the ex-SOLDIER's blade, or missing him entirely as he swerved to avoid them. He drew into Vincent again, swinging his red sword upward. It sliced through the front of his cloak, just barely missing his flesh. Vincent used Cerberus to deflect the next blow, then spun around and struck Genesis with his foot. The red-clad man blocked the blow with his arm, before jumping back to avoid the swipe Vincent took with his claw.

Genesis' foot collided with his abdomen, sending him tumbling backward. He landed on his feet, jumping back just in time as Genesis' flaming blade struck the ground before him. He landed a level above him, using the height to his advantage and firing at him again. Genesis effortlessly diverted the bullets, before drawing back his hand. With a quick thrust forward, fire shot from his palm.

Vincent moved again to avoid the flames. Genesis leapt onto the cliff to join him, his blade once again grasping for his flesh. His blade clashed with Cerberus again, the both of them pressing against each other in a battle for dominance. The fire ignited in Genesis' hand again, and Vincent had no time to avoid it before Genesis slammed his hand into his chest. The force of the blast singed his clothing, as he flew across the cavern. He landed harshly on his back, rolling several feet before coming to a stop. Pain from the blast racked his body, his thoughts disoriented from the intensity of his crash.

"There is no hate...only joy," Genesis said, as he landed before him.

Glaring angrily, Vincent pulled himself to his feet. Genesis was on him before he even rose completely. He struck him in the head with his fist, causing Vincent to stumble but not fall. His blade sliced him across the arm, the pair searing but not debilitating. Vincent blocked his next strike with his left arm, firing simultaneously with his gun. The last cluster of bullets hit their mark, piercing Genesis' stomach.

The ex-SOLDIER jumped away from him, stumbling with shock. He placed his hand over the bleeding bullet wounds, looking at them as if he couldn't comprehend them.

Vincent let Cerberus fall to the ground. Genesis started at the sound.

Energy surrounded Vincent, glowing and shifting as it engulfed his body. Genesis stared in wonder as in an instant, the flash of energy transformed his body. Vincent no longer stood before him, but instead Galian Beast. His shock turned to understanding.

The beast's animalistic howl filled the cavern, telling of his anger. The same fire that Genesis had directed at him how flew from his hands, engulfing the ex-SOLDIER as he stood before him. Genesis shielded his face, the blasts bombarding him one after another. Galian Beast howled again, and Vincent gave into the unintelligent rage that filled him. He let the beast drive his body without consent.

He closed in on Genesis, striking before he had time to defend himself. The blade was knocked from his hand, and he was defenseless as he struck him. Again and again, he bombarded him with his powerful hands, injuring him, breaking down his defenses with every indiscriminate strike. It was done in an instant, and the ex-SOLDIER had no hope of withstanding him.

With one last powerful blow, Genesis was thrown across the room. He crashed hard against the wall, the rock shattering from the impact. His body fell to the cave floor, broken.

Galian howled once more, before the energy withdrew from his body. Transformed again, Vincent now stood in his place, breathing heavily, exhausted. Lifting Cerberus back from the floor, he went up to Genesis, his weapon poised to fire.

Genesis was unmoving.

Vincent pulled the phone from his belt, quickly dialing the number. Tseng's familiar voice answered on the other end. "You can move in."

* * *

Vincent watched as the Turks swarmed the cavern, Tseng issuing orders among them. Several of their personnel were on Genesis, holding him down and binding his hands. But the ex-SOLDIER was still unconscious, and would have no chance of putting up a fight when he did awaken. Vincent watched them with a detached air, lingering for only a moment. With a nod to Tseng, he turned and continued his trek further into the cavern.

The place ran deep, in multiple directions, but it wasn't long before he found himself in a man-made structure-a place that was constructed of corridors and rooms. He found the lab first, and entered cautiously, ready for anything he may find.

He wasn't ready for the sight of Weiss in the tank. Shocked and terrified, he watched the man float around, unaware and unconscious. He couldn't even tell if he was alive, but his presence there was unsettling enough. Just a few years ago he had tried destroying the world. That his body was even being sustained was unthinkable, and dangerous.

"Vincent?"

The sound of Shelke's voice startled him. He spun around, surprised to find her laying on top of one of the tables. She was weak and confused, as she looked around the lab. Vincent ran up to her, examining her for any sigh of injuries. There was a bandage on her arm, but nothing more.

"Shelke, are you alright?" he asked. He helped her sit up, and she nodded her answer, her hand going to her head.

"I'm fine," she said. Her eyes went to Weiss, her unease clear on her face.

"It's alright," he said, "You're safe now."

"Where is everyone?" she wondered.

"I don't know. But we'll fine them. Can you walk?"

She nodded again, swinging her legs over the side of the table. He took her arm to steady her, but the moment she stood on her feet, her legs gave way. Vincent caught her before she could fall to the floor. "I'm fine," she said, trying to stand again.

He didn't give her the opportunity to convince him. He simply picked her light body up in his arms.

"Vincent..."

He took her out of the lab, back the way he had come. Halfway through the corridor, Tseng came to meet them, a pleased expression on his face. "Cloud found the others," he informed.

Vincent doubled his speed to get back to the main cavern, not bothering to hand Shelke over to someone else. He carried her all the way there, his place slowing when he saw the familiar crowd of Cloud, Yuffie, Reno, and the three remnants.

Yazoo was lowering Reno to the ground, after having to carry the wounded Turk there on his back. He looked in pretty bad shape, but Rude was over him, obsessively trying to tend his wounds while the red-head cursed at him. Vincent went to join them, cautiously lowering Shelke to her feet.

"That's everyone," Cloud commented.

"The Turks are securing the place," Vincent said, "They'll take care of everything here." He glanced briefly in the direction of the lab.

Kadaj gazed across the room at Genesis, as two of the Turks lifted his unconscious form from the floor and carried him toward the exit. His eyes were glued on him, until Vincent grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him forward. His eyes widened in surprise when the man grabbed him by the head, looking directly into his eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Among the concern, there was fear.

"I'm fine," he assured, "Really." He was aware of what he was looking for.

"He's himself," Yazoo added.

Vincent sighed, his hand going back to the boy's shoulders. He offered him a nod, before glancing over the other brothers. All of them were in need of a good lecture, and somehow he needed to impress on them the importance of listening to him.

But there would be time for that later. Right now, he was just relieved that they were all safe, and together again.

* * *

**A/N: Okay...confession time. There's only two (possibly three) chapters left. The ending kinda snuck up on me. And well, I guess it's obvious I can't finish the story in two chapters, so...**

**Basically, I'm asking you all if you want another sequel. *nervous laughter***

**So, please review. Leave me your comments, your thoughts, suggestions. ^_^**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Sorry this is so late. Life got in the way. That and a serious case of writer's block. :/**

**And since you were all quite literally screaming "SEQUEL!" at me, rest assured, I'm doing a sequel. :) Fair warning though...I'm going for epic, so watch out! XD**

**Enjoy the next chapter. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Kadaj stood in silence, looking out the window, at the landscape of Healin below. The room was dark and cold. A shiver ran up his spine, and as much as he tried to ignore it, he knew that it wasn't the cold affecting him. The sun was rising in the distance, creeping over the top of the forest. It would be morning soon. This sleepless night would be over with.

It would be a new day. And they would leave Healin. They would all return home, and the incident with Genesis would be put behind them.

_"Do you really think it'll be that easy?" _Sephiroth chimed, continuing on with the words that had plagued him all night, in this hated room._ "Do you really think you can forget him? That he will simply vanish, and never bother you again?"_

Kadaj pulled away from the window, his gaze falling to the floor, unfocused. He strived once more to silence the voice in his mind, but to no avail.

_"He won't stop. He'll come after you again, and manipulate you, and use you for his own ambitions. The life you fought so hard to have will be torn away from you, and you'll be put back exactly where you started."_

"Shut up," he hissed, grabbing himself on either side of the head, as if he could pull the voice out.

_"You know it's true. The only way you can live your life, and be free of Genesis...is to kill him."_

* * *

Yuffie stood anxiously before the closed door, foot poised mid air, ready to either step back and dart out of there, or step forward and go ahead with her intentions. Her indecision left her standing there for many minutes, wondering if she really should go forward with the knock on the door. Once she did this, she couldn't exactly take it back.

Snuffing down her uncertainties, she planted her feet firmly on the floor and knocked on the door. She was forced to wait for twelve long seconds, before Cloud answered.

The blonde looked surprised to see her, and faced with her task at hand, her anxiety returned.

"Hi," she said, laughing nervously, no joy in her voice.

Cloud's confusion only seemed to grow.

And Yuffie sobered immediately. "I need to tell you something."

* * *

Vincent stood before the three remnants, staring at them with his usual, serious stare. He had many things he wanted-and needed- to say to them, but he didn't know where to begin.

They were all quiet. Loz was obviously defiant, and Vincent knew no matter what he said, the eldest brother would defend his actions. After all, he left after Kadaj was in trouble, and was clear about where he was going. He had no ulterior motives for disobeying him.

Yazoo on the other hand-he had started this mess. The whole ordeal with Genesis might not have happened if he hadn't run away. Vincent was pretty sure he knew all this. Getting him to admit it was something else entirely.

Kadaj had also run away, and disobeyed him. But he had a feeling the youngest brother had already learned his lesson.

In end, Vincent could only sigh. "The three of you need to start listening to me. This whole situation could have been avoided."

No one said anything in reply. Yazoo uncomfortably shifted his weight to his opposite foot, purposefully looking away from Vincent. Loz glanced at Kadaj, as if unsure how he should take the comment. Kadaj ignored him entirely, his gaze out the window, his mind elsewhere. Vincent wasn't even sure he had heard his words.

Something about him seemed off.

"You know I'm only looking out for your wellbeing. And you know the dangers that come with being what you are. You need to be more careful."

Still nothing.

"We made a deal, remember? It was deal I thought would be lived up to."

"So we're allowed no freedom?" Yazoo finally spoke. He shifted his gaze back to Vincent, his serene expression showing his displeasure within.

"The freedom you're talking about is not an option. And what you have is better than the alternative."

"Haven't we proven our loyalty to you yet?"

"This isn't about loyalty. This is about what happened with Kadaj, and what could still happen in the future. He managed to make it out unscathed, but what if he isn't so lucky the next time?"

"If someone really wanted to get to us, do you think your presence could do anything to stop them?"

Vincent paused for a moment, taken off guard by how obvious his statement was. "There's strength in numbers. Running off by yourself is asking for trouble."

"I think you're afraid," Yazoo stated.

"You're right, I am. I'm afraid Sephiroth will reemerge again, and you'll lose everything we've fought for."

Kadaj pulled his eyes from the window, coming back to the present.

"I don't share your fear," Yazoo replied.

Vincent sighed in frustration, the long-haired remnant remaining before him only a few seconds longer. He turned without another word, making his way to the door. His brothers' eyes followed him, Loz no longer defiant but uncertain, as if he didn't know what to believe without Kadaj's input. Kadaj still looked detached, as if he wasn't even aware of what was being said.

Yazoo reached for the handle, the door opening just before he could grab it. He stepped back quickly to avoid Cloud as he came rushing in, pushing Yazoo entirely out of the way as he walked up to Loz. There was an anger in his eyes, one Vincent hadn't seen in a while.

"I want you to stay away from Tifa," he ordered, his voice containing a controlled rage.

Loz, understanding immediately, lifted his chin defiantly. "I don't have to listen to you," he said.

Kadaj was finally interested in what was happening around him, his eyes full confusion.

"Cloud?" Vincent said cautiously, "What's going on?"

The blonde looked his direction, the emotion still present in his stare. "Yuffie told me what's been going on between them. I don't want him near her."

"If Tifa doesn't want to see me, she can tell me," Loz replied smugly.

Cloud's faced him again, poised to reply.

"Loz!" Kadaj said, his voice full of surprise, his eyes full of a horror Vincent didn't understand. The boy stood there for a moment, looking at his older brother, his mouth opening and closing as if he wished to speak, but couldn't comprehend the situation, therefore couldn't reply. He took a sudden step forward. "No. You can't do this."

Loz shifted his gaze to Kadaj, "It's not your choice."

"You're my brother!" he snapped in anger. "You can't-I won't let you do this!"

"You have no say in this!" Loz replied, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"What's going on?" Vincent interrupted, completely lost. At first, he thought he knew what they were talking about, but then he realized Kadaj's reaction wasn't from wanting to protect Cloud's feelings.

Neither remnant replied, only stood locking gazes with each other, both refusing to back down.

"It's no different than your feelings," Loz said to Kadaj.

The younger brother tensed visibly, his fists clenched into balls. "Shut up," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"What is going on?" Vincent reiterated.

"Hmph," Yazoo said from his place by the door, a soft smile on his face, "Loz is in love."

Surprised, Vincent's gaze went from Yazoo to Cloud, then back to Kadaj and Loz.

"Yazoo..." the youngest brother cautioned, threat and warning in his voice.

"This has nothing to do with you," Loz continued to speak to Kadaj. "It's my choice."

"You're my brother. It affects all of us!"

"Stop it!" Vincent intervened. He stepped between them, afraid their argument would escalate to something worse. He silenced them with a glare, before turning to Cloud. "I think you should leave."

Cloud understood, but his anger with Loz remained, and if anything, his discomfort only grew. "Don't go near her again," he said in the end, before turning and heading back out. He made his way passed Yazoo, slamming the door in his wake.

Yazoo no longer had the desire to leave, as if he knew he would be the only objective voice left in the room.

Everyone was silent for a moment, the tension between the two brothers high. Vincent didn't know what say; he had never expected something like this to happen.

Kadaj suddenly growled in frustration, the outburst unprovoked. He turned away from everyone and grabbed his head, yelling, "Shut up!"

Alarmed, Vincent stepped forward, taking him by the arm as he staggered. Loz and Yazoo watched their brother in concern, reluctant to approach him though they knew what was happening.

"Why?" Kadaj asked, his gaze to the floor, "Why are we drawing apart?"

Vincent sighed softly, taking the boy by both arms, gently easing him to the floor. He turned to Yazoo and Loz, "Wait for us outside."

Neither protested, and left the room in silence. Vincent waited for the door to close, then crouched down to Kadaj's level. The remnant sat with his head in his hands, his breathing stressed and ragged.

Kadaj pulled his face from his hands, his eyes red and brimming tears. He looked to the door, staring at it longingly, "What's happening to us?"

"I think you're all discovering what it really is to live. It's to fall in love, to take risks, to find out who you really are."

"But things aren't the way they used to be."

"You can't expect them to be. You're different people now."

The boy sighed heavily, wiping his hands down his face, as if to wipe away all his distress. They were both silent for a moment, Vincent giving him the time he needed to process everything.

"He won't let me sleep, Vincent," he admitted, his voice full of desperation.

"Sephiroth?"

He nodded, "It's worse than before. I don't know what to do."

"He can't control you anymore."

"But I can't silence him!"

Vincent placed his hands softly on his shoulders, trying to offer him some comfort. Unexpectedly, Kadaj drew into him, burying his head against his chest. He grabbed him by the front of his cloak, his fingers twisting through the thick fabric.

"When will this end?"

* * *

**A/N: That took a turn I wasn't expecting. I mean, I always planned for Kadaj to freak out like that, but I didn't think I'd get to put it in there. lol**

**Please review. I'll try not to let writer's block hinder me again. ^_^**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: This should have been up a few days ago. I was just being lazy. I have no excuse. -_-**

**...Yay for a long chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I didn't own Final Fantasy VII back when I started chapter one...I don't own it now.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_Kadaj found himself in a corridor. These walls were familiar to him, after all, he had been here many times, and he could never forget the sight of his many nightmares. The hall was endless, claustrophobic with how narrow it was._

_But he was not afraid. Not this time._

_He walked with uncertainty, but that was only because he didn't know what he would face. Sephiroth could be at the other end. Though he hated that thought, and though he loathed having him taunt him again, he knew he could not harm him. Not even in his dreams. His battle with him was over._

_He felt a shiver down his spine, a gust of air rushing passed him. He followed its direction, but nothing had passed by, nothing stood behind him. It was only him and the walls. So he continued walking, running his fingers along the cold wall, letting his bare feet carry him across the cold floor._

_"Kadaj," a voice spoke, lifting his spirits._

_From the darkness at the end of the hall, came a little light. His mother walked out before him, a beacon in his nightmare, a tonic for his soul. He ran to meet her, overcome with joy, relieved beyond measure that she was there, that she was always with him. Her gentle smile was directed up at him, the love and affection clear in her eyes. He fell to his knees, drawing into her and her warm embrace._

_They didn't speak to each other. She remained silent, allowing him to bask in the comfort, to forget his troubles. He held her for so long, it could have been hours..._

_"Why?" he asked in the end. He clutched her tightly, his fingers digging into her dress, "Why did you give me life?"_

_"Don't you know?" she asked._

_"I thought I did. I thought..." He drew away from her, sitting back on his knees so that he could gaze up at her face. "Is what Genesis said true? Am I here to destroy Jenova?"_

_She reached for him, laying her fingers softly on his face. Her touch was warm, soothing. "Whatever purpose I created you for, Kadaj, the choice is yours. No one can decide for you, not even me."_

_"But I don't know what to do," he replied, "Tell me, and I will do whatever you want me to. What is my mother's will?"_

_Kadaj was suddenly bombarded by pain. A terrible noise, like the scraping of metal against metal, rang through the hall. He covered his ears in a vain attempt to block it out, his head vibrating painfully._

"Your mother's will is a lie," _his voice echoed, resonating through his entire body, forcing itself into every inch of his being. _"She did not give you life!"

_"Mother!" he cried._

"I gave you life!"_ Sephiroth continued, _"You were born into this world because _I_ willed it. You are mine!"

_"He cannot control you, Kadaj!" Aeris reminded him._

_"I'm not yours!" he yelled at Sephiroth. The intensity of the noise grew, the pain running from his head all the way down his shoulders. He felt things pulling at him, voices from the distance screaming his name._

"You will do my will, Kadaj, or the world will suffer. I will take those you love from you. I will make _you_ suffer!"

"No!"

Kadaj flung himself upright, his terrified screams filling the room. He pulled himself from the bed, from beneath the stifling covers, and fell to the floor. He hit with a heavy thud, scurrying away in a disoriented, terrified mess. Breathing heavily, he looked around the room, reminding himself of where he was.

They were still in Healin. Everything was entirely still, entirely quiet. Nothing was amiss. It was just his dream.

For a long while, he remained perfectly still, afraid to move. He lifted his shaking hands, wiping them down his face, wiping away his tears. He let out a long breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He eventually willed himself to move, and pushed himself up from the floor, slowly staggering to the nearby table. He leaned against it, staring down at its blank surface, at his katana set on top of it.

"It was just a dream, dreams can't harm you," he told himself in a whisper, closing his eyes as a fresh stream of tears ran down his face.

The noises still echoed through his mind, haunting him now. A ripple ran through the air, shifting it. Slowly, Kadaj turned around, looking at the floor beside his bed in horror. From the tiles, black smoke rose, filling the air and congealing. He gasped in horror as the creature took form before him, its shrill shrieks echoing around him. He grabbed his sword within a blink of an eye, ripping the blade from its sheath and charging the creature without fear.

It howled at him mercilessly, but was given no time to attack before Kadaj drove the sword through its head. It disintegrated as quickly as it had appeared, its body of smoke vanishing into thin air, leaving no trace it had ever been there.

Disturbed, Kadaj stumbled back, realization sinking in.

He wiped the tears from his face, his hand gripping his katana more firmly than before. He rushed out of the room.

* * *

Vincent stood before the tank, watching Weiss suspended within, floating ignorantly in the water. He had been standing here for a while, merely staring at him, reminding himself of the complications he was now faced with. The footsteps approaching his side reminded him he wasn't alone, and he turned to look down at Shelke. She shared his interest for staring at the tank, her usually impassive expression now showing she was troubled.

"What are you going to do with him?" Vincent asked Rufus, who stood at the far end of the room, currently discussing something with Tseng. The president disengaged from the Turk, making his way over to Vincent, standing a few meters from the tank.

"We're having Weiss transferred to the WRO," he answered, "I think we can both agree that they're more well equipped to handle this situation than I."

"We should kill him," Shelke interjected, "He shouldn't even be alive still."

Vincent agreed. There were some things that simply weren't worth the risk.

"I'll leave that choice to the commissioner," Rufus said.

"What about Genesis?" Vincent asked, finally turning to face the president.

"I'm sending him to Reeve as well," he answered, "The WRO has more personnel, and more resources at their disposal to keep him apprehended. Though we're not sure what his actual goals are, I don't think its worth taking any chances. The life of this planet has been threatened enough."

Vincent nodded, glad the man had sense enough to hand this over to someone else.

He turned away from the president, making his way toward the door. He had to gather the three brothers, to start their journey back home. He let them linger a few hours longer to let Kadaj get some sleep, but nighttime was approaching, and he thought it best if they got home as soon as possible. There was no need to prolong this unpleasant experience.

The door before him suddenly flung open, and he stepped back as Kadaj ran inside. He was breathing heavily, his eyes full of fear and panic, his sword in his left hand. He stopped just before Vincent, staring at him in silence.

"Kadaj? What's wrong?" he asked.

An alarm suddenly sounded, ringing throughout the lodge. Vincent and Shelke looked around in confusion, turning to Shinra for answers.

"Go see what's happening," the president instructed Tseng. The Turk nodded, then quickly left the room to fulfill his orders.

Kadaj suddenly took Vincent's arm, gripping him fiercely, grabbing his attention. "It's Sephiroth," he hissed.

"What? Sephiroth?" he asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but he never let the words out. He suddenly turned away, wincing in either frustration or pain.

"Kadaj!" he said, grabbing hold of him and making him face him, "What's happening?"

"It's not me. I swear, it's not me!" he said.

"What?" he demanded.

Tseng came running back into the room, the look on his face grave. "We're being attacked, sir. There are Shadow Creepers all over the grounds."

"What?" Rufus demanded in shock.

"They've already killed two of our men."

The president took a second, the information sinking in. He abruptly left room afterward, the Turk following immediately after him. Vincent, Shelke, and Kadaj were left in the room, the remnant still distraught.

"Shelke, go find Yazoo and Loz, make sure they're alright and bring them to me," Vincent ordered, "Kadaj, come with me."

"Where are you going?" Shelke inquired.

Vincent drew Cerberus from his belt, looking back at her briefly. "We need to help stop them."

* * *

It was chaos. Kadaj and Vincent stood at the entryway at the top of the stairs, staring at the ground below, at the Shadow Creepers that littered the cliffs. Their loud cries filled the air, accompanied by the noise of their carnage. There were several dozen of them, and more kept coming, emerging from the clumps of trees and all advancing on the lodge. Several of the Turks were out there, scattered among the creatures, trying their best to fend them off.

Kadaj was the first to move, while Vincent was still standing there in shock. He leapt over the railing of the stairs, soaring through the air and directly into the chaos. He landed on top of one of the creatures, driving it to the ground and finishing it off with a strike through the head. It disappeared beneath him, his feet falling to the ground. He didn't remain stationary. His katana pierced the creature to his right, stopping it just before it reached him, it's sharp claws looking to maim his body. He kicked back the one that was attacking from his left, sending it tumbling into the pile of the rest of them. They scrambled over one another, jaws flashing in unintelligent, animalistic anger.

Kadaj jumped into the pile after it, his sword swiping left and right, tearing them down one after another, sending them back to the tainted place they came from.

Vincent was soon beside him, firing Cerberus. Several Shadow Creepers disappeared among them, killed from Vincent's accurate shooting. Kadaj only glanced his direction briefly, before heading for the next group of creatures.

He jumped into the air, soaring over Reno, as the Turk fought ferociously. He landed a few meters before him, turning abruptly and swiping at the creatures that engaged him. They were felled with one strike, leaving the Turk standing there in surprise. Before he had a chance to say anything, Kadaj was on the move again, fervently fighting the creatures he had once understood, the creatures he had once summoned himself to wreak havoc on the world.

* * *

Yazoo sped through the lodge, ignoring Shelke calling after him and running far ahead. He could hear his brother's footsteps echoing behind his, telling of his urgency. The both of them knew what was happening, and how wrong it was. Even from this distance, he could hear the noise of the battle raging outside, and feel the power of the Shadow Creepers as they tore through Healin, looking for blood.

He had questions, but he knew he would not find answers. Not now at least. They had only one thing to focus on, and that was putting an end to this madness.

Yazoo came to an abrupt stop when a Shadow Creeper appeared before him, darting out from the turn in the hall. The creature ran at him, shrieking loudly. He smiled inwardly at the fact that he once controlled these things, and now they were trying to kill him.

He kicked it back the moment it was within reach, and Loz ran passed him in an instant, continuing his attack. He lifted his fists high, slamming them down on the creature, fracturing its spine. He grabbed it by its barbed tail, heaving it in the air and throwing it down the length of the hall, right passed Shelke, into another Shadow Creeper that had been chasing them from behind.

Shelke turned to face them, her sabres glowing along with her eyes. The creatures with the broken spine disintegrated into dust, as the other creature rose, charging at them again. She ran to meet it, slamming her right sabre into the side of its head. It fell against the wall, shrieking in pain. It cried out even louder as she drove her sabre into its abdomen, sending shocks through its body.

Yazoo finished it off with a well-aimed shot.

Another cry rang through the hall behind them, telling them there were more not far behind. Yazoo sighed in frustration, stepping around Shelke to face them, Loz standing at his size.

Two more creatures emerged, racing toward them, their claws digging into the floors. Yazoo fired, striking one creature in the neck, the other evading him. Loz ran to meet the injured one, driving his fists into it, warding it off with his strength. Shelke met the other, striking it left and right, destroying it in a matter of seconds. The aftermath of their presence filled the hall, leaving them all with a distinct feeling of dread.

They could hear more behind them, and more before them. All over the lodge, people were engaged, trying to fend them off. And worse yet, there was a reason they were here.

Yazoo continued his original route, going for the entrance, prepared to cut through whatever Shadow Creepers got in his way.

* * *

Kadaj watched the scene around him, taking it all in in shock. He had killed countless Shadow Creepers, he had watched them disintegrate beneath his blade. And yet there were just as many as before, if not more. They kept coming, dozens at a time.

The ground before the lodge was a mess, over turned with battle marks, stained with the blood of the Shinra personnel who had been injured. The battle filled the night with screams of creatures and men, the noise of gunfire, the sound of swords cutting the air. All around him was turmoil - Shadow Creepers jumping on the Turks, Turks ganging up on the creatures, blood being drawn from those who weren't so lucky.

_"End this."_

He gripped his katana more firmly, crying out loudly as he struck to his right, severing a creature's head from its body. He moved again, ignoring the hopelessness of the situation, intent only on killing these things. He ran through them, striking left and right, killing them off one after another.

He spotted Vincent nearby, slashing a creature with his claws, finishing it off with Cerberus. His red cloak stood out among the darkness, whipping behind him from his quick movements. Not far from him stood Cloud, the blonde wielding his sword expertly, killing creature after creature. There were several people fighting, each one of them fighting with a power a mere Shadow Creeper could never counter. Yet Kadaj wondered if it would be enough.

He was aware of his brothers entering the battle, but he could take no time to find them. He was forced to defend himself as a group of creatures jumped on him. He was knocked onto his back, a Shadow Creeper on top of him. Before it could sink its teeth into him, he kicked it off, propelling it far behind him. The other creature which tried to get on top of him was cut down, and he kicked another in the face.

He threw himself back to his feet, jabbing his blade back and through the face of another. A familiar shuriken zipped through the air just before his face, cutting down half a dozen of the enemy during one revolution. It spun back around to its owner, and Yuffie grabbed the weapon amidst her run. She sped passed the remnant, flinging the weapon again and continuing onward.

He heard the dying scream of one of the Turks, the noise haunting. He tried in vain to block it from his mind, as he continued to fight.

_"End this."_

A creature leapt at him from behind, and he spun to face it. But he wasn't fast enough, and it reached him before he could repel it. He cried out in pain as the claws sank into his shoulder, drawing blood. In an instant, Loz was before him, grabbing the creature by the head and yanking it off his brother. He broke its body on the ground, making sure it disappeared, before fighting off another.

Kadaj grabbed his bleeding wound, trying in vain to keep the blood inside. He struggled against the pain, breathing heavily, his body wracked with shivers. He closed his eyes, hearing nothing by the screaming thoughts of the creatures for that moment.

Burying his pain, he grabbed his sword again, charging next to his brother and continuing the fight. He let his pain and his anger fuel him, let all his stress out through the killing.

Yuffie's cries filled Healin, laced with pain. He spotted the young ninja on the ground, a Shadow Creeper on her, its teeth in her shoulder, is claws in her side. Vincent's voice was full of fear as he called her name, tearing through all the creatures in a desperate attempt to get to her. Reno was at her side sooner, slamming his rod into the thing's head, dislodging it from her body.

Vincent reached her a second later, lifting her from the ground, draping her wounded body over his shoulder.

Pain blocked Kadaj's vision. For a moment, the entire world went white, and all he was aware of was a searing pain in his back. He fell to his knees, the world coming back to him in an instant. He drove his sword behind him, through the creature at his back. He felt it vanish, but the wounds it inflicted remained. He let out a shuddering breath, gathered all his strength, then rose again.

He was back on his hands and knees a second later, the pain too much. He felt his blood dripping from the claw marks, soaking his torn shirt, running down his sides. He lifted his head, looking through his tears at the scene around him. He watched the creatures appear from within the ground, emerging with the insatiable urge to kill, jumping on the person nearest to them.

He had lost sight of his brothers among the chaos. Vincent was before him, fighting desperately, protecting Yuffie on his back. He watched in horror as a Shadow Creeper leapt at him, catching his arm between its teeth. It bit into his flesh, paining Vincent though he didn't scream. Cloud was by his side soon enough, slicing the creature in half. Vincent staggered, the weight of Yuffie and the pain in his arm too much.

_"End this."_

Kadaj screwed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw. "I will end this," he hissed. Using whatever strength he had left, he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring his pain and his loss of blood. He cut down only the creatures that stood in his way, as he trudged back to the lodge.

* * *

**A/N: I'll admit...that action sequence was kinda painful to write. :/ Hopefully I did okay though. Heh heh heh...**

**One more chapter left! I know I only said there'd be two back when...whenever I said it, but I changed somethings. So last one will be up sometime next week. I won't be lazy this time, I promise. XD**

**Please review. XD**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I remember when I first started this story, I compared it to a Disney sequel. You know, one of those lame movies that come out straight to dvd? Ha ha! But over time, it grew on me, and got better, and got more fun to write in. I'm so glad you all like it, because seriously, it would not have existed without you. XD**

**Please enjoy the last chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Kadaj forced open the doors to the detention area beneath Healin, not surprised to find himself facing the two Turks Elena and Rude. He remembered their faces well, from their many encounters. Those faces were now surprised and confused. They knew what was happening outside, but not why the remnant was there. For whatever reason they thought it was, they did not attack him, which was their undoing.

In an instant, Kadaj slammed his fist into Rude's stomach, causing him to convulse. He grabbed hold of the man's head before he had time to react, and threw him to the side, slamming his head into the wall. He rammed his elbow into the side of Elena's directly after, before she could attack him. She fell to the floor beside her comrade, both of them unconscious.

Silence.

Kadaj shuddered as he closed his eyes to bask in the quiet. He gripped the hilt of his sword more firmly, the blood from his back quickening its flow from the clenching of his muscles.

He slowly stepped forward, down the corridor and passed all the empty cells. He stopped before the one at the end, facing Genesis.

The ex-SOLDIER stood against the bars, his arms rested through them, his posture as casual as ever. A sly smile was on his face. The bruises from his battle with Vincent had yet to heal, but he looked no less confident or powerful because of them. Kadaj stood shaking from his pain, his teeth clenched in anger. Genesis looked directly into his eyes, his confidence mellowing out, being replaced by pity.

"How?" Kadaj demanded, his voice unsteady, "How do I destroy Jenova and Sephiroth along with her?"

Genesis' smile returned, in a more somber form. "You were born again with the power to do so. You only have to harness it."

"Tell me how," he said.

"It isn't something I can teach you in this moment. It would take time."

"I don't have time!" he snapped.

Genesis pulled his arms from the bars, drawing away from them slightly. "Fighting here is pointless, Kadaj. Jenova is angry. She is threatened, that is why she is sending the Shadow Creepers. No matter how many you kill, more will keep coming. She will not stop until the threat to her is destroyed."

Kadaj didn't reply. He only swallowed, hearing his blood drip to the floor at his feet.

"If you kill me, the creatures will stop, but the threat to this planet will never be gone. Sephiroth will come again, and he will continue to prey on you, and your brothers." He paused for a moment, watching Kadaj struggle with his pain. "I could have taken you away, Kadaj. I could have fled with you after your brothers attacked, it was within my power. But I didn't. I left you for the others to find you, I let myself be dragged here to be near you."

"Why?"

"Because I needed you to come to me of your own free will. Jenova can never be destroyed by me forcing you. The choice is yours...and only yours."

Kadaj was reminded of his mother's words, of what she had told him only hours ago. If only he knew what she wanted for him.

"I once I thought I knew what life had in store for me. But I was wrong, and I discovered the Goddess had a plan much bigger than I. All I had to do was follow it, and she guided me the rest of the way," he explained, his voice soft and convincing, full of sympathy and understanding. Kadaj didn't know if he was being honest, but most of his life he lived without knowing what the outcome would be.

At some point he just had to trust something. Aeris...Vincent...his brothers...and now, Genesis.

The remnant blinked away his tears, gathering his strength and crossing the length of the corridor once more. He went to Rude's side, opening his jacket and searching around inside, eventually finding the card key. He went back to Genesis' cell, taking the key to the control pad beside it. He used the wall to support himself, as he struggled to keep standing. He swiped the card through, the cage unlocking with a snap.

He gave into his weakness, letting himself slide down against the wall, resting his forehead against it. The world around him felt distant, his lack of blood pulling him unconscious. He lazily opened his eyes, looking up at Genesis as the ex-SOLDIER crouched at his side. He smiled softly, taking hold of him.

"'There is no hate, only joy...for you are beloved by the Goddess.'"

* * *

"Vincent!" Rufus' voice called over the battle. Vincent spun around, looking for the president, his vision blurry and his head light. He spotted him at the top of the stairs, a gun in his hand, his white clothes tattered from the fight. "We have to evacuate! We can't hold them off!"

Vincent swiped at the next creature who came at him, striking it across the face with his claws. That held it back long enough for Cloud to come to his side, running the creature through. Together, they made their way toward Rufus, Cloud before him, cutting a path. Vincent followed after him, simultaneously trying to spot the others while cradling his wounded arm. Shelke was inside with Yuffie last he had seen her, tending to her injuries. He found Yazoo among the hoard of creatures, fighting deadly, Reno at his back. Loz wasn't too far away, clearing through the mass with his fists alone. Whatever was left of the Turks were gathered by the president, most running inside to commence with the evacuation.

He couldn't find Kadaj, and it frightened him.

"Vincent!" Loz suddenly yelled, grabbing his attention. He turned just as the remnant came charging toward him, panic in his eyes. He stopped before his guardian. "Kadaj is gone!"

"What?" he asked, looking around the battlefield again. He saw the same unending scene, but no sign of the youngest brother, "What do you mean? Where is he?"

"I don't know. We can't sense him."

Panic gripped his chest, sent his mind reeling with dozens of questions. He couldn't be dead...

"Vincent!" Cloud yelled, grabbing his arm. "We need to leave!"

Rufus was calling for Reno, the last Turk left among the swarm. Yazoo, beside him, seemed to understand what was happening, but continued to fight, tearing through the creatures mercilessly.

"Yazoo!" Vincent called, "We need to evacuate!"

As much as he didn't want to leave. As much as he wanted to stay and search for Kadaj's body among the chaos, he knew they couldn't.

"Yazoo!"

Reno grabbed the remnant by the arm, yanking him out of his fury, forcing him follow him to the company of the others. Cloud and Loz continued to drive off the creatures around Vincent, while he desperately searched for any sign of Kadaj. He couldn't be dead...he simple couldn't. Not after everything.

A loud buffeting noise caught his attention, pulling him from his wandering thoughts, as a sudden gust of wind send his hair and cloak flying. He covered his face with his injured arm, looking up at the large helicopter descending on them. It startled the attacking creatures, made them falter for a moment as they tried to determine what was happening. It gave the fighters a small moment of reprieve, before the Shadow Creepers attacked again.

Bullets were suddenly fired from the turret on the helicopter, striking creature after creature in a single swipe. They disappeared from around them, giving the chopper enough room to lower. It hovered only a couple meters from the ground, just enough for the fighters to get on board.

Cloud was the first one up, jumping the distance and landing safely inside. Vincent gestured for Loz to follow, although the young man looked reluctant. After a few seconds, he complied, and was soon followed by Yazoo and Reno. Vincent stood beneath the buffeting torrent, looking over the chaotic scene, hoping desperately that this wouldn't be the last place he'd ever see Kadaj.

He was the last of them to climb in, and the moment he was securely inside, the chopper rose in the air, far out of reach of the Shadow Creepers. The chopper angled just above the lodge, above the spot where Rufus stood his ground. Reno quickly lowered the ladder from the side, sending it down to the president just as they flew over him. He grabbed on and began his climb, as the chopper ascended higher in the sky, leaving the lodge far below.

"Shelke and Yuffie are with the rest on the other chopper," Tseng yelled back at them from his place in the cockpit. Vincent looked out the side of the helicopter, to the similar chopper that was flying ahead of them, full of the others.

Reno helped pull the president inside, and the Rufus crashed down on the floor, breathing heavily as he held onto the wall for support. He looked over the group gathered inside, before locking eyes with Vincent. "Where's Kadaj?" he wondered.

"He's gone," Yazoo answered for him. The remnant looked out at the landscape below, his expression hard but not necessarily grieved. By the way he spoke, Vincent was beginning to understand.

"I thought as much," Rufus commented.

"What do you mean?" Vincent demanded.

The president sighed softly, "Genesis is also missing. We found Rude and Elena unconscious outside his cell, and when they awoke, they told us what happened. It was Kadaj."

Vincent felt his stomach sink, as he figured out what was happening. He turned away from the others, trying to comprehend it all, trying to figure out why Kadaj would do such a thing. He might have been controlled by Sephiroth, or Genesis could have threatened him. The ex-SOLDIER could have orchestrated this entire attack just to get Kadaj could go with him. They had no idea what the man was really after, and if his goals were really what he said they were.

Cloud's hand was on his shoulder, oddly comforting. It pulled Vincent from his fearful thoughts, and made him look over at his friend. Cloud's expression was serious, but his eyes were hopeful. "If Genesis wanted Kadaj dead, he would have already killed him."

"He doesn't need him dead to summon Sephiroth," he replied factually.

"Sephiroth can't control him anymore. You assured me of that."

He wasn't so sure anymore, not after everything Kadaj had told him about his influence over him. He wanted to believe the remnant was strong enough to resist, and wise enough to make the right choices, but he couldn't help but be doubtful and afraid.

"Whatever is happening...whatever Genesis is after...I fear this is only the beginning," Vincent said, as he watched Healin grow more and more distance, and watched the Shadow Creepers continue to emerge. The sky was growing darker, and he could feel a change in the air.

"Aeris...be with him," he uttered.

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all so much for all the reviews and favorites. And even those who read the story, but didn't review or favorite or anything, thanks to you too! XD**

**Please be patient for the sequel. I'm gonna take a small break before starting it, as I need to chill for a bit. lol But don't worry, it will be up! :)**

**Please review this last chapter, and let me know what you think. Until next time...**

**~Endellion :)**


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